Mike Frey / HKCTA
Lorenzo Musetti is chasing his first ATP Tour title since 2022.
By Jerome Coombe
Is Lorenzo Musetti poised to finally end his near four-year wait for an ATP Tour title at this week’s Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open?
The top-seeded Italian took another assured step forward on Friday, brushing aside home favourite Coleman Wong 6-4, 6-4 to book his place in the semi-finals. Musetti, who has not lifted an ATP Tour title since he won two in 2022, can now look forward to a meeting with former Hong Kong champion Andrey Rublev.
“I knew I had to be really, really solid from the beginning,” said Musetti, who improved to 2-0 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Wong. “It was a really close match, but I stayed really focused until the end. So I’m really happy and proud to start 2026 well.”
Rublev hit 22 winners and saved the only break point he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats, in his 6-3, 6-4 clinic against Nuno Borges. The third-seeded Rublev won his only previous meeting with Musetti in Dubai in 2020, but the Italian is a considerably improved player since then.
“I’m happy to be back in the semi-finals here in Hong Kong,” said 2024 champion Rublev. “Lorenzo is playing unbelievable the last couple of years, he’s getting better and better. When I played him the first time, he was super young, so it doesn’t really count. I need to be really ready if I want to have a chance for a good fight.”
As well as reaching a career-high No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings in 2025, Musetti also reached three finals. He let slip two championship points against Alejandro Tabilo in Chengdu and later fell to Novak Djokovic in a gruelling three-hour Athens final.
Alexander Bublik moved one step closer to a debut inside the world’s Top 10 when he defeated Shang Juncheng 6-1, 7-6(2) in 85 minutes. Into his 23rd tour-level semi-final, the Kazakhstani could jump one spot to No. 10 if he wins the title at the ATP 250 event.
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“It’s very tough to play Jerry when he’s in the mood. In the second set, he was playing unbelievable tennis,” Bublik said of Shang. “I hope I can maintain [the momentum]. I hope to continue well.”
Bublik will next face American Marcos Giron. He led Michael Mmoh 6-3, 1-0 when the latter was forced to retire due to injury.
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