The 19-year-old, coming off a breakout year that saw him crack the Top 50 and lift his maiden ATP trophy in Chengdu, equaled his 2024 Hong Kong run.
“We’ve been playing a lot the last few months,” said Nishikori. “We just played an exhibition last week. I lost, so I have to do better!”
Fellow unseeded competitors Jaume Munar and Alexandre Muller will battle it out for the other championship spot. Munar ousted second seed Lorenzo Musetti, 2-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5, saving two break points in a key game at 5-5 in the second set.
Muller also mounted a comeback with his 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory over fourth-seeded compatriot Arthur Fils. He and Munar—both 27—have never met above the ATP Challenger Tour, with all four of those encounters coming on clay.
In a surprising turn of events, the Hong Kong Open has seen four unseeded players make it to the semifinals, with Japanese star Kei Nishikori set to face off against Chinese qualifier Shang Juncheng.
Nishikori, a former world number four and US Open finalist, has been battling his way through the tournament and will now face the relatively unknown Shang Juncheng for a spot in the final. Shang, ranked outside the top 200, has been causing upsets left and right, including defeating third seed Cameron Norrie in the quarterfinals.
The other semifinal will see unseeded players go head-to-head, with Italian Lorenzo Musetti taking on American Tommy Paul. Both players have shown great form throughout the tournament and will be looking to secure their spot in the final.
With the top seeds out of the picture, the stage is set for an exciting finish to the Hong Kong Open. Will one of these unseeded players be able to claim the title, or will Nishikori continue his run of form and emerge victorious? Stay tuned to find out!
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