(Tokyo) The Pole Hubert Hurkacz, fresh winner in Shanghai of his second Masters 1000, was eliminated on Wednesday from 1er round of the ATP 500 tournament in Tokyo by the Chinese Zhizhen Zhang, 57e world, in three sets, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).
This setback, barely three days after his coronation in China, is bad news for the 11e world player in the race for the ATP Finals in Turin, which will bring together the eight best players of the season next month.
The Pole had nevertheless started well by pocketing the first set, despite a deficient first service (45%), twice breaking his Chinese opponent, who had never beaten him in two confrontations.
But he lost the thread in the second, before losing in the third set in the deciding game, after 2:14, against a player who totaled 10 aces over the entire match.
Zhizhen Zhang, 26, who has never won a tournament on the main circuit, will face the 2e turn the Russian Aslan Karatsev (30 years old), 50e in the ATP rankings, surprise winner of the No.6 seed, the American Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 7-6, at the start of the tournament.
