Rublev, Cerundolo, Shang, and Brooksby secure semifinal berths at UTS Hong Kong

Four players have successfully advanced to the semifinals of UTS Hong Kong (official name : Chubb UTS Hong Kong with Humansa), on Tuesday at the Kai Tak Arena : Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo, China’s Juncheng Shang, USA’s Jenson Brooksby, and Russia’s Andrey Rublev, seed No.2.

Notably, Rublev and Adrian Mannarino have clinched their places at the upcoming London UTS Grand Final through Tuesday results.

Local favorite Coleman Wong’s aspirations were dashed in a fiercely contested match against second seed Rublev. Echoing his recent five-set battle at the US Open, Wong pushed Rublev to the limit over four gripping quarters with scores of 13-12, 11-13, 15-11, and 17-11.

Reflecting on the encounter, Wong said, “It was so good. I’ve never played something like this before. There is a lot of tension, a lot of very tight moments and I really enjoyed it. Playing at home was amazing. I wish every tournament could be in Hong Kong, but obviously it’s tough for tennis players.”

Rublev : “UTS is about the level of tennis, that’s it”

Rublev highlighted the demanding nature of UTS: “UTS is not about experience, it’s about the level of tennis, that’s it. You play, you have to feel physically ready, if your game is ready to play long rallies, to fight.” He acknowledged, “We both tried to take advantage as soon as we could. It was indeed a very tight match. We both deserved to win. In the third and fourth quarter, he made a few more mistakes than me and I ended more or less well—that’s the difference.”

Earlier, Brooksby, who replaced Alex De Minaur at the last moment, made a strong showing by dispatching Zhinzhen Zhang in three quarters (12-11, 17-8, 13-11), marking the most one-sided match of the day. Juncheng Shang overcame Richard Gasquet in a competitive four-quarter encounter (12-15, 18-10, 17-12, 13-11). Shang vs. Brooksby will now feature in the semifinals, a pivotal clash between two players yet to secure a spot in the London Grand Final—where only a final appearance will guarantee qualification.

The semifinals also pit Rublev against Cerundolo, the highest-ranked duo remaining. Rublev’s expertise in UTS rules contrasts with Cerundolo’s experience navigating the format’s highs and lows, amplified by his resilient quarterfinal comeback.

Thrilling Cerundolo – Mannarino

That opening quarterfinal set a high bar, as Adrian Mannarino and Cerundolo faced off in a gripping rematch following a recent narrow contest in Shanghai. Despite trailing two quarters to none, Cerundolo found his rhythm. In a tense fourth quarter at 10-8, the players engaged in a marathon 70-second, 41-shot rally on a crucial match point, culminating in Cerundolo’s line-winning shot that sent the match to sudden death.

Although Mannarino seized the opening sudden-death point with an extraordinary return winner, Cerundolo rallied to win two consecutive points and the match.

Cerundolo reflected, “It could have gone either way, for him or me. But luckily, it went my way. I’m super happy to get my first win in my first UTS match. Adrian was playing great, didn’t miss a ball early on. But after the third quarter, I started playing better. I think we had a rally of 40 balls, and I finished with a backhand around the net. It’s probably one of the biggest shots in UTS history.”

Grand Final taking shape

With Day 1 concluded, the field for the London Grand Final begins to take shape. Alongside Rublev and Mannarino, Belgium’s David Goffin secured qualification via Race rankings after a strong runner-up finish in Guadalajara and Tuesday’s results, which saw Gasquet exit while Rublev advanced.

Joining them are Tomas Machac (Czech Republic), winner in Guadalajara; Casper Ruud (Norway), victor of the Bastide Medical UTS Nîmes event; and Jack Draper, the 2023 UTS champion granted a wild-card. Two more spots remain open, with one decided in Wednesday’s Hong Kong play and another by wild-card selection.

Day 1 Quarterfinal Results

• Cerundolo def. Mannarino: 9-16, 8-16, 16-13, 11-10 [2-1]
• Shang def. Gasquet: 12-15, 18-10, 17-12, 13-11
• Brooksby def. Zhang: 12-11, 17-8, 13-11
• Rublev def. Wong: 13-12, 11-13, 15-11, 17-11

Day 2 Schedule (Hong Kong Local Time)

• 5:00 pm: Zhang vs. Mannarino (Classification match)
• 5:50 pm: Shang vs. Brooksby (Semifinal)
• 7:00 pm: Rublev vs. Cerundolo (Semifinal)
• 7:50 pm: Wong vs. Gasquet (Classification match)
• 9:00 pm: Final