HONG KONG:
World quantity 5 Andrey Rublev will start his 2024 season on the Hong Kong Open when the ATP Tour returns to the town for the primary time in additional than 20 years, organisers stated Tuesday.
The 26-year-old Russian will likely be joined by Grand Slam semi-finalists Frances Tiafoe and Karen Khachanov for the January 1-7 occasion at Victoria Park, an essential warm-up for the Australian Open.
Males final competed for the Hong Kong Open in 2002 and former champions embody Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Pat Money, Ivan Lendl and Jimmy Connors.
Australian nice Rod Laver received the inaugural version in 1973.
The fiery Rublev, who will likely be high seed, received two titles this yr, at Bastad in Sweden and Monte Carlo.
American world quantity 16 Tiafoe rose to prominence on the 2022 US Open, the place he misplaced an epic five-set semi-final to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz, having knocked out Rafael Nadal within the final 16.
Russia’s Khachanov additionally has current Grand Slam pedigree.
He additionally reached the semi-finals of the US Open in 2022, shedding to Casper Ruud, and obtained to the final 4 of this yr’s Australian Open the place he misplaced to Stefanos Tsitsipas.
“I am trying ahead to serving to deliver again ATP Tour pleasure to the town for the primary time because the early 2000s,” stated Khachanov.
Veteran Croat and 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic will start his damage comeback on the occasion.
The 35-year-old had knee surgical procedure after struggling damage in January this yr and solely performed one match on tour subsequently in 2023, sliding to 666th on the planet.