Asia's top male tennis star aiming high

Paradorn Srichaphan won the most famous victory of his career earlier this year when he knocked Andre Agassi out of Wimbledon in straight sets.

But far from being a one-off, the Thai tennis star says that result was just the beginning.

Paradorn, the top Asian male player with a world ranking of 53, says he wants to end the year inside the top 50, and is setting his sights on winning an Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) tournament.

"At my present level, I can play anyone in the same league as Agassi, but the catch is I must consistently maintain my best form in every single game," the 23-year-old said.

"If possible, I'd like to win one ATP tournament this year."

Paradorn, who turned professional at 18, says his victory over Agassi was not a fluke, but the result of his mounting experience of playing at the top level.

"On the day I played Agassi, I was confident I could play good tennis. It was going to be a fun game, and I didn't think I would lose that game," Paradorn said.

Paradorn beat his childhood icon Michael Chang -- an Asian-American player -- twice in March, and has notched up several victories over top-20 players.

His success is winning him a growing fan base in Asia.

COACHED BY FATHER

In common with some of the world's top players, Paradorn is coached by his father, who taught himself tennis and passed on his skills to his sons.

"I thought sports talent would be a good passport for them to get a good education and a good job," Paradorn's father Chanachai Srichaphan said.

"All my three sons were champions at national amateur level, but when they turned pro, the first two had to quit eventually and went to college because they didn't get sufficient sponsorship in Thailand," Chanachai says.

But Paradorn, the youngest brother, started playing at the age of six and was able to beat his older brothers by the time he was 15.

"After he beat his two brothers, I was certain that he would do much better professionally," Chanachai says.

Shortly after he turned professional in 1997, Paradorn won crucial financial support from a U.S. sports agent.

Paradorn has resisted pressure to replace his father as his coach.

"Comparatively speaking, my dad is a world-class coach," he says. "Our relationship is not commercially-based. My father and I are members of a small team which has overthrown many top international players. We started together and will continue."

Aside from his daily physical training, Paradorn also tries to boost his success through various good-luck charms. He usually touches the ground before every match, something he believes will help his game, and prays regularly.

BLESSING FROM BUDDHA

"I always visit a Buddhist temple, if there is one nearby, to pray for protection from injuries and for victory in a game," says Paradorn.

Confessing that he forgot to go through his lucky routine of touching the ground before he beat Agassi, Paradorn says there was another force that may have helped him win the game -- a Buddhist amulet he carried which is supposed to help overcome rivals.

"My father...gave it to me before the game and I left it on my seat during the game," Paradorn said.