The quarter-finals of the Hong Kong Open have shaped up intriguingly, with only four of the eight seeded players remaining in contention. Notably, the defending champion Alexander Muller (seeded seventh), as well as fourth seed Karen Khachanov and fifth seed Lorenzo Sonego, all faced early exits, succumbing in the second round.
In a remarkable display, American qualifier Michael Mmoh ousted the fourth-seeded Khachanov, who is currently ranked 17th in the world, with a scoreline of 7-6(2), 7-6(4). Post-match, the 27-year-old Mmoh fondly reflected on his friendly rivalry with Khachanov, dating back to their junior careers. “Funnily enough, my first ITF junior win was against Karen Khachanov,” noted Mmoh, who currently holds the world No. 285 ranking. “He’s a great guy who’s had an unbelievable career, so just to share the court with him, I knew I needed to play at the highest level possible.”
Despite missing an opportunity to serve out the match at 5-4 in the second set, Mmoh composed himself during the subsequent tie-break, securing his place in the quarter-finals for the seventh time on the ATP Tour. His next challenge will be against fellow American Marcos Giron, who earlier pulled off an upset against Muller, winning 6-4, 7-6(4).
Meanwhile, Shang Juncheng, the Chinese left-hander, etched his name in the tournament’s history by reaching the quarter-finals for the third consecutive time. He delivered a strong performance against fifth seed Sonego, winning 6-3, 6-4, firing off 24 winners in the process. After a season marred by a foot injury, Shang is keen to capitalize on this momentum, and he will next face second seed Alexander Bublik, who advanced with a convincing 6-3, 6-3 victory over Botic van de Zandschulp.
At a career-high ranking of 11, Bublik is determined to build on the success of his previous season, where he secured five titles. “We tried many things before arriving here,” he said about his preparation. “You never know what’s going to happen in the first match. We chose a tactic, we stuck to it, and I played well, so I’m really happy with the way I performed.”
In another exciting match, local hero Coleman Wong achieved a significant milestone as the first Hong Kong national to win a match at the three-year-old event. The 21-year-old wildcard battled through a tough encounter against Gabriel Diallo, coming back from a set down to eventually win 1-6, 7-5, 7-5 after two hours and 29 minutes, saving 11 of the 15 break points he faced.
“It’s unbelievable,” Wong expressed, grateful for the support he received. “So many people came to cheer me on. Gabriel is a fantastic player, and we pushed each other to the limit. I was leading 5-2 but he came back to 5-5, and I thought, ‘Wow, I don’t know if I can close this out.’ I just kept believing in myself and in the hard work I’ve put in over the years.”
Wong’s journey continues as he sets his sights on the semi-finals, where he will encounter top seed Lorenzo Musetti. The Italian secured his spot with a comeback victory against Tomas Martin Etcheverry, finishing with a score of 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-4.
In other matches, Nuno Borges of Portugal also advanced, defeating former world No. 3 and US Open champion Marin Cilic 7-5, 6-3. Borges will now clash with the third-seeded Andrey Rublev, who triumphed over Wu Tibing with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 scoreline, wrapping up an eventful day at the tournament.
