Google News Tennis - 15 year old deaf Korean Lee-Duck Hee loses in first round of Wimbledon juniors
by PRAKASH | VIEW 5397
Tennis - 15 year old Lee-Duck Hee, the Korean junior who is deaf, was beaten in the first round of the Wimbledon junior boys singles draw on Saturday. Lee lost to the no. 7 seed Christian Garin 6-2, 4-6, 2-6 but is still alive in the boys doubles draw.
Speaking through a translator after his loss, Hee commented, "It’s another match but it is Wimbledon so I’m experiencing a lot and probably I got something out of this game. It was my first time experiencing this and I wanted to win badly but I was unlucky.
I want to win the juniors next year and then join the main tour as soon as possible. “I’m really enjoying the tennis, going all over the world and travelling to the big events, having many experiences and really having fun.
It’s very hard to travel a lot from Korea with the flying schedules but that is a problem I have to face.” Hee has refused to let his handicap deter him from chasing his dream. “When I play tennis, my hearing doesn’t give me any difficulty.
No problems at all. If I was to hear, I want to hear the fans cheering. I feel — by my body, I’ve got the instinct — the reaction of the opponent. So I already think he’s going to hit harder or slower, even though I don’t hear it, though actually through my eyes I’ve got the instinct and can get the sound of the opponent. “From now on, I’ve got to build up that instinct, so I’ll do it.
No problem that the opponents make whatever sound, whatever body language he does I don’t really care about it. Because I cannot hear, I have already overcome this disability so as far as I’m concerned it doesn’t matter at all. I’m growing up and that instinct will grow."
