Semifinals of the ATP Hong Kong Open get underway on Saturday with top seed Andrey Rublev looking to book his way to the final in a match against surprise winner Shang Juncheng. On the other side of the draw, Emil Ruusuvuori remains in contention, facing in-form Sebastian Ofner. Who will move into the final?
ATP Hong Kong Semifinal Predictions
Emil Ruusuvuori vs Sebastian Ofner
Ruusuvuori’s brand of tennis is not as sparkly as others in his age group, so it’s no wonder he tends to fly under the radar. But with 28 tour level wins last season, he has shown mettle. Coming off of a grueling win over Karen Khachanov, Ruusuvuori summoned the energy to save five of six break points in his quarterfinal win over Pavel Kotov. For his efforts, the Finn will square off against Austrian Sebastian Ofner, who is parlaying his career best year in 2023 into an inspired start of 2024. Ofner’s path to the semis included a decisive win over Mackenzie McDonald and a hard-fought battle against Jan Lennard Struff. He broke Robert Bautista Agut in the opening game their match and never looked back. Ruusuvuori won his only previous meeting with Ofner in 2018, but the match was indoors. Ofner’s current form gives him a very slight edge, but the match is bound to be entertaining.
Prediction: Ofner in 3
Andrey Rublev vs Juncheng Shang
With Andrey Rublev’s increasing consistency over the last three seasons, he’s become a reliable contender in the back end of tournaments. To reach the semi-finals in the Hong Kong Open, he defeated the rising Frenchman and ATP NextGen finalist Arthur Fils in a clean three-set match that saw him hit only four unforced errors. Rublev will be hungry to get his hands on his first title of the season as he kicks off his 2024 campaign before heading to Australia. On the other side of the net will be 18-year-old Chinese player Shang Juncheng, who took down Francis Tiafoe in a surprisingly routine quarterfinal win. Shang will no doubt take confidence from the match against Tiafoe but in this first meeting Rublev will likely prove a more difficult foe to overcome. With the form he’s showing, coupled with relentless hitting from the back of the court, Rublev should prevail.
Prediction: Rublev in 2
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
