Hong Kong Tournament Draw Released: Wu Yibing and Shang Juncheng Lead, Will Musetti Face Booing Again?

A brand new week is here. Besides the Brisbane event taking place in Australia, the Hong Kong tournament will also be held simultaneously. Recently, the organizers released the draw, so let's take a quick look.

Musetti, heavily criticized last season, will compete as the number one seed. Having repeatedly finished second in Chinese events and with last year's negative reputation, it’s uncertain whether his return will trigger another wave of boos. His likely second-round opponent is Echeverri, a former French Open quarterfinalist whose world ranking has dropped significantly.

Also seeded in this section is Canadian player De Minaur. He won his first career title on grass last season and is undoubtedly a successful player. His opponent for this New Year's opener will be Dutch player De Jong; meanwhile, Argentine Lavonne is set to face a local wildcard entrant.

The third seed and former champion Rublev leads the second quarter. Do you remember his promise to Chinese fans back then? “I will never hurt myself by losing control again.” Recently, the Russian has shown improvement in managing his emotions, but his results haven’t notably improved. Hopefully, with Safin’s continued support this season, Rublev can return to the top ten!

This section is packed with strong contenders. Chinese player Wu Yibing will face Hungarian veteran Marton Fucsovics in the first round. Although Fucsovics’ ranking isn’t very high, he definitely has the capability to win the tournament. The winner will meet Rublev in the second round.

Another exciting first-round match features two veterans—former US Open champion Cilic will take on French left-hander Mannarino. Cilic has traditionally performed well during the Chinese season and hopes to continue winning as he approaches the end of his career.

Among the trio, besides Medvedev competing in Brisbane, Khachanov is also coming to Hong Kong. He has fond memories of playing in China and is drawn in the same section as French seed Muller. Desperate to claim his first career title, Khachanov will face Serbian veteran Krajinovic in the opening round.

The last section is led by Bublik, who won a Chinese tournament last season. He is likely to face Dutch player Van de Zandschulp, who is also striving hard for his maiden title, in the second round.

Chinese player Shang Juncheng is placed in this section and will face an Argentine opponent in the first round. If he advances, he may meet the second seed, Italian star Sonego, in the second round.

Three local players have received wildcards, but their first-round opponents are all tough. Who will secure a winning start to the season and advance to round two?(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Luo Cheng Qiye)