The Hong Kong Open has witnessed its fair share of surprises as the quarter-final lineup is finalized, featuring only four of the original eight seeds. Notably, the defending champion, Alexander Muller (seeded 7), along with Karen Khachanov (4) and Lorenzo Sonego (5), saw their tournament journeys end in the second round.
One standout of the day was American qualifier Michael Mmoh, who pulled off a remarkable upset against Khachanov, triumphing with a scoreline of 7-6(2), 7-6(4). Reflecting on his long-standing friendship with Khachanov, which dates back to their junior days, Mmoh recounted, “Funnily enough, my first ITF junior win was against Karen Khachanov, so we’ve been battling since we were 14. He’s a great guy with an incredible career, and I knew I had to bring my best game today.”
Despite facing a moment of pressure where he failed to serve out the match at 5-4 in the second set, the 27-year-old regrouped impressively in the tie-break, securing his spot in the quarter-finals for the seventh time on the ATP Tour. His next opponent will be compatriot Marcos Giron, who earlier created his own upset by defeating the seventh seed and defending champion Muller with a score of 6-4, 7-6(4).
In another remarkable performance, Shang Juncheng, a left-hander from China, marked his place in the quarter-finals by beating fifth seed Sonego 6-3, 6-4, striking 24 winners during the match. This victory also makes Shang the first player to reach the quarter-finals in Hong Kong three times. After missing a significant portion of the previous season due to a foot injury, Shang is set to face second seed Alexander Bublik, who advanced seamlessly with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Botic van de Zandschulp.
Now ranked a career-high 11th in the world, Bublik expressed his desire to build upon his successful season and the five titles he clinched last year. Discussing his match, he said, “We tried many strategies leading up to this point. You never know how the first match will go. We chose a tactic, stuck to it, and I’m pleased with my performance.”
Additionally, local player Coleman Wong, who made history as the first Hong Kong national to win a match at the event, continued his remarkable run by defeating Gabriel Diallo 1-6, 7-5, 7-5. In a tightly contested match lasting two hours and 29 minutes, Wong saved 11 of the 15 break points he faced.
“It feels unreal to be in this position; so many people came out to support me. Gabriel is a great player, and we really pushed each other. When I was up 5-2 but he leveled to 5-5, I thought, ‘Will I be able to close this out?’ I just reminded myself to believe in my preparation,” Wong shared.
For a place in the semi-finals, Wong will face top seed Lorenzo Musetti, who had a challenging opening match but managed to secure a 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-4 victory over Tomas Martin Etcheverry. In another encounter, Portugal’s Nuno Borges took down former world No. 3 and US Open champion Marin Cilic with a score of 7-5, 6-3, setting up a match against third seed Andrey Rublev, who defeated Wu Tibing 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 to complete the day’s proceedings.
As the tournament approaches its climax, the intensity and excitement continue to build, promising thrilling matches ahead.
