China’s No. 1 Zhang Zhizhen is making a strong start on his home turf at the Hangzhou Open. The sixth seed, who is currently ranked No. 48 in the PIF ATP Rankings, defeated Kazakhstan qualifier Denis Yevseyev 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 on Thursday to advance to the second round of the ATP 250 tournament.
This is Zhang’s first time competing on home soil since his impressive run at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Shanghai last October, where he reached the fourth round. With the support of his home crowd, Zhang is looking to continue his success at the Hangzhou Open.
In a hard-fought match, Zhang overcame a few hiccups and an erratic display, committing 42 unforced errors. But his determination and skill shone through as he emerged victorious after two hours and four minutes. He will now face Mattia Bellucci in the second round.
The 27-year-old’s win was met with great enthusiasm from his fans, with the ATP Tour’s official Twitter account sharing a video of Zhang’s satisfying victory. The Chinese player’s performance has been impressive and it is clear that he is determined to make his mark at the Hangzhou Open.
Another player who has been making waves at the tournament is Yoshihito Nishioka. The Japanese lefty, who is seeded eighth, continued his unbeaten record against Top 100 opponents since the start of 2023, defeating Germany’s Maximilian Marterer 6-4, 6-2 in just 77 minutes.
Nishioka was in control throughout the match, not facing a single break point from his opponent. This win marks his first Lexus ATP Head2Head series against Marterer. With his sights set on the title, Nishioka will next face Marin Cilic, the 2014 US Open champion, in the second round.
There was also a notable win for Chinese wild card Bu Yunchaokete, who earned his first ATP Tour win of the season by defeating Frenchman Hugo Gaston 7-5, 6-3. The 22-year-old, who won two ATP Challenger Tour titles in 2024 and qualified for the US Open last month, showed great determination and skill on the court.
Bu’s next match will be a tough one, as he will face second seed Karen Khachanov. But with his recent successes, Bu will surely put up a strong fight and continue to make his country proud.
In other matches, #NextGenATP star Coleman Wong advanced to the second round after Wu Yibing was forced to retire after the first set. Wu, who became the first Chinese man to win an ATP Tour title last year in Dallas, has been struggling with injuries and was unable to continue after losing the first set 3-6.
Wong, who hails from Hong Kong, is the first man from his country to win an ATP Tour match since 1972. He is currently ranked ninth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah and is aiming to make his debut at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF. In the second round, he will face former Next Gen champion Brandon Nakashima.
The action at the ATP 250 hard-court event also saw some impressive performances from other players. Mattia Bellucci defeated Aslan Karatsev 6-4, 6-0, while Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena overcame Corentin Moutet 7-6(6), 6-1, despite a moment of magic from the Frenchman. Japan’s Yasutaka Uchiyama defeated Australian James McCabe 6-4, 6-4 and will now face top seed Holger Rune in the second round.
Australian Rinky Hijikata also made a strong comeback, rallying from 2-5 down in the second set to defeat Damir Dzumhur 2-6, 7-6(6), 6-2 after two hours and 31 minutes. He will now face seventh seed Fabian Marozsan in the second round. And Alexander Shevchenko also had a commanding win, defeating Argentine qualifier Marco Trungelliti 6-1, 6-1 to reach the second round.
The Hangzhou Open is proving to be an exciting and highly competitive tournament
