As Michael Chang brought the curtain down on his career on Tuesday, Paradorn Srichaphan confirmed his status as the new beacon of Asian tennis.
Paradorn, the 11th seed, reached the second round of the U.S. Open with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 win over Frenchman Cyril Saulnier.
Chang, the 1989 French Open champion, was the guiding light of Asian tennis for more than a decade but his 6-3, 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 defeat by 15th-seeded Chilean Fernando Gonzalez on Tuesday left the way clear for Paradorn.
Since his stunning win over Andre Agassi at Wimbledon last year, Paradorn has made a huge impact in the continent, especially in his native Thailand.
The victory over Agassi proved the turning point in his career as he went on to claim titles in Long Island and Stockholm in the latter half of the 2002 season.
When Paradorn finally managed to make his way back to Thailand, he was hailed for his on-court achievements and had to attend countless receptions and television talk shows.
He was also presented with a diplomatic passport and appointed as a cultural ambassador for the country by the Thai Prime Minister.
With his profile increasing drastically over the last year, the soft-spoken Thai has had to adjust to the changes.
It is impossible to be in Thailand and not be aware of Paradorn.
PROMOTING PRODUCTS
His face is plastered across billboards, television commercials, magazines, newspapers and on various store windows promoting products he endorses.
On the way to the airport, around Bangkok, across the country, whichever way you look, Paradorn is there.
"It's so great to have your picture beside the highway but I've lost my privacy," Paradorn told reporters on Tuesday.
"Most of the people recognise me now and it's not like before when I could walk around in the mall, shopping, having fun with my friends.
"I can still do it but now it's a little bit more tough because people are looking at me and at what I'm doing.
"It's just the way it is, so I just have to go to the place I want to go to and finish it off and then go back."
Having triumphed in Chennai in January and retained his Long Island title last week, Paradorn hopes his success will produce more Asian tennis players.
"I think Asian players have to play more outside their country. The competition makes you tougher," he said.
"But it's getting better and better (as) they have so many tournaments in Asia now.
"We've even got one in Bangkok, which is really great. It's been my dream to play an ATP Tour event in Thailand."
Since Paradorn used to look up to Chang, who always enjoyed huge popularity in Asia, there may now be an aspiring champion looking to follow the same path as the popular Thai.
