No. 1 seed Lorenzo Musetti and No. 3 Andrey Rublev will kick off their Hong Kong campaigns in the second round on Wednesday. Musetti meets Tomas Martin Etcheverry, while Rublev faces Yibing Wu.
(3) Andrey Rublev vs. (WC) Yibing Wu
Rublev and Wu will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers when they battle for a quarterfinal spot at the Bank of China Open on Wednesday. Their only previous encounter came on the grass courts of Halle in 2023, when Rublev prevailed 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-2.
This could be a good spot for Wu to get revenge. The 26-year-old from China is healthy (for once), will have the crowd firmly behind him, and he already has a win under his belt in Hong Kong — erasing Fabian Marozsan 6-4, 6-2. Rublev got a bye as the third seed, so this is the Russian’s first match since a disappointing 2025 season that saw him fall to 16th in the rankings.
Pick: Wu in 3
(1) Lorenzo Musetti vs. Tomas Martin Etcheverry
Musetti is looking to build an outstanding year in which he played in the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time in his young but already extremely impressive career. The Italian climbed to seventh in the rankings thanks in part to a semifinal run at Roland Garros, three runner-up performances (including in Monte-Carlo), and multiple Masters 1000 semifinal appearances.
Up first for Musetti in Hong Kong is a third showdown against Etcheverry, who dropped both of their previous contests in straight sets — 7-6(3), 6-2 at the 2025 Madrid Masters and 6-3, 6-4 this past fall in Vienna. Etcheverry did well to defeat Valentin Royer on Tuesday, but there is little reason to think that the 57th-ranked Argentine will suddenly turn the tide against Musetti. The No. 1 seed has made far more improvements on non-clay surfaces than Etcheverry has in recent seasons.
Pick: Musetti in 2
WWW?
Rublev in 3; Musetti in 2
close!
I had Rublev in three
(and would have said Musetti in two)