ATP Tour

Hurkacz sets Shapovalov semi-final showdown in Chengdu

Hubert Hurkacz reached his first ATP Tour semi-final in more than a year on Sunday when he defeated qualifier Lloyd Harris 7-6(10), 6-4 at the Chengdu Open.

The fifth seed has not advanced this far since reaching the Geneva final last May, but he will now play Denis Shapovalov for a place in the ATP 250 final.

“I started to serve really well towards the end of the tie-breaker and I was really good and played some really good points,” Hurkacz said. “Just took the opportunity when it came, so really, really pleased to come out on the top there.”

The former No. 6 player in the PIF ATP Rankings hit 14 aces and saved seven of the eight break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

“Lloyd’s such a great player,” Hurkacz said. “He’s serving really well, he had an amazing victory last night and I knew it was going to be a really good challenge.”

Shapovalov continued his good week with a 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-2 win against Adrian Mannarino in two hours and 34 minutes. Shapovalov is now a two-time semi-finalist in Chengdu (2019).

Nikoloz Basilashvili was briefly tested in the closing stages of his quarter-final, but the Georgian qualifier held his nerve to advance to the last four at the ATP 250 event.

Basilashvili ousted Jenson Brooksby 6-4, 7-6(4) after one hour and 33 minutes, during which he let slip a match point and dropped serve while serving for the match at 5-4 in the second set. However, the Georgian steadied himself in the tie-break, eventually sealing victory with his ninth ace of the match, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

With the victory, Basilashvili advanced to his first ATP Tour semi-final since Doha in 2022, when he reached the final.

"It was a tough moment when I dropped serve at 5-4," Basilashvili shared. "I got slightly tight. My energy level dropped a bit and that was not a great moment. But my serve helped me a lot... I was somehow able to put more energy into points and very happy I could finally execute and win the match."

Basilashvili is now the fourth qualifier to reach the last four in Chengdu, after Bernard Tomic (2018), Alibek Kachmazov (2024), and Alejandro Tabilo (2025). The 34-year-old will meet second seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina after the Spaniard beat French qualifier Alexandre Muller 6-1, 7-5.

Davidovich Fokina has not dropped a set through his first two matches in his Chengdu tournament debut, having missed the North American hard-court swing due to injury. Earlier this year, the 27-year-old finally captured his first tour-level title in Mallorca and will hope to add to that in Chengdu.