Hangzhou Open Kicks Off: Wu Yibing Set to Face Asian Games Rival

The main competition of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) 250 Hangzhou Open commenced on September 18, featuring a talented lineup of players, including Chinese athletes Buyun Chaoket, Wu Yibing, and Zhang Zhizhen, who will make their tournament debut on September 19.

The first round of the men’s singles main draw saw three exciting matches. Former US Open champion and Croatian veteran Cilic staged a comeback to defeat American player Shvajda 2:1. Kazakh veteran Kukushikin outplayed the fifth seed, Italian player Daldry, with a score of 6:3, 6:4. Meanwhile, the seventh seed, Hungarian player Maurojan, dominated Italian player Nardi with a convincing 6:0, 6:2 victory.

In the men’s doubles, fourth seed Jamie Murray and Pierce secured a “good start” by defeating the Japanese combination of Yoshihito Nishioka/Toshiki Kamimatsu 7:5. Earlier, in the men’s singles qualifying finals, Hong Kong’s Huang Zelin defeated China’s wildcard player Terrigele 2:1 to secure a spot in the main draw. Uchiyama Yasutaka, Tranjeridi, and Yevsayev also emerged victorious, earning their places in the main draw.

According to the Open draw, Hangzhou native Wu Yibing will face off against Huang Zelin once again. Their previous encounter was in the “Little Lotus,” where Huang Zelin defeated Wu Yibing in the third round of the Hangzhou Asian Games men’s singles. Wu Yibing, who returned from injury in August, will make his first tour appearance after his comeback in his hometown of Hangzhou, making this match particularly intriguing.

Other notable matchups include No. 6 seed Zhang Zhizhen facing Kazakhstan player Yevsayev, while Buyun Chaoket will challenge French player Gaston in the first round. The top four seeds of the tournament, Rune, Khachanov, Echeverri, and Brandon Nakajima, have received a bye in the first round.