Japan Open: Shanghai winner Hurkacz upended by Zhang in round one

Hubert Hurkacz‘s celebrations for winning the Masters 1000 title in Shanghai were cut short when he was beaten 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4) by China’s Zhang Zhizhen in the first round of the Japan Open at the Ariake Colosseum in Tokyo on Wednesday.

Zheng came from 3-1 down in the third to clinch victory, gaining revenge for his defeat by Hurkacz last week. The Chinese, ranked No 57, will play Russian Aslan Karatsev next.

The result, meanwhile, is a big blow to Hurkacz’s hopes of qualifying for the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin.

Tokyo ATP500, other first-round results (Ariake Colosseum, hard, USD 2.013.940, most recent results first):

• Aslan Karatsev beat Frances Tiafoe (6): 6-3, 7-6 (4)
• Casper Ruud (2) beat Yosuke Watanuki (WC): 7-6 (6), 6-3
• Shintaro Mochizuki (WC) beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry: 6-4, 7-6 (5)
• Ben Shelton beat Taro Daniel (Q): 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2)
• Diego Schwartzman beat Francisco Cerundolo: 6-4, 6-1
• Taylor Fritz (1) beat Cameron Norrie: 6-4, 6-3
• Alexei Popyrin beat Karen Khachanov (7): 6-4, 6-2
• Alex De Minaur (4) beat Jack Draper (Q): 4-6, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (1)
• Cristian Garin (Q) beat Sho Shimabukuro (WC): 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
• Tommy Paul (5) beat Daniel Altmaier: 3-6, 6-1, 6-3
• Marcos Giron (Q) beat Yoshihito Nishioka: 7-6 (14), 4-6, 6-1
• Felix Auger-Aliassime (8) beat Aleksandar Vukic: 7-6 (3), 6-7 (2), 6-2
• Jordan Thompson beat Alexander Zverev (3): 6-3, 6-4
• Sebastian Ofner beat Christopher O’Connell: 6-7 (2), 7-6 (5), 7-5
• Mackenzie McDonald beat Max Purcell: 7-5, 6-4