Quarterfinal competition in Hong Kong will take place on Friday, when Kei Nishikori looks to continue his run against Cameron Norrie. Another all-unseeded showdown features Jerry Shang and Fabian Marozsan.
(WC) Kei Nishikori vs. Cameron Norrie
At 35 years old, Nishikori is hoping for a resurgent season. If the Japanese veteran can stay healthy (and that’s a big “if”), early indications are that he could be in line for plenty of success in 2025. He has been stellar so far at the Bank of China Open, securing a quarterfinal spot with a 6-2, 6-3 rout of Denis Shapovalov and a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Karen Khachanov.
Up next for Nishikori on Friday is a third meeting with Norrie. Both of their previous encounters have gone Nishikori’s way; 6-4, 6-4, 6-0 at Wimbledon in 2019 and 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 at the 2021 Washington, D.C. tournament. Norrie is also looking to bounce back from injury problems in addition to general poor play–factors that have the former world No. 8 down at 49th. The British left-hander has done well this week to oust Learner Tien and Lorenzo Sonego, but Nishikori–when he is 100 percent physically–represents a step up in class.
Pick: Nishikori in 3
Fabian Marozsan vs. Jerry Shang
Shang and Marozsan will be squaring off for the fourth time in their careers on Friday. Marozsan survived a 2-6, 7-6(5), 7-5 thriller this past fall on the indoor hard courts of Belgrade to win their only previous main-tour showdown, but Shang leads the overall head-to-head series 2-1. The Chinese lefty prevailed twice in qualifying at Grand Slams in 2023, first at the Australian Open and again at Roland Garros.
It’s safe to say that Shang loves Hong Kong. The 19-year-old reached the semifinals in 2024 and he is back in the quarters following straight-set defeats of Coleman Wong and Pedro Martinez. This should be a high-quality affair with Marozsan, who built confidence with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 upset of top seed Andrey Rublev on Thursday. The 58th-ranked Hungarian is a tough customer, but his unusual style of play probably won’t frustrate a mentally strong opponent in Shang like it did Rublev.
Pick: Shang in 3
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