The first day of main draw play at ATP Hangzhou features three main draw matches. This tournament kicks off the ATP World Tour’s series of events in China and this is the first time the ATP has played a tournament in Hangzhou.
Marin Cilic vs Zachary Svajda
Cilic had knee surgery at age 35 and last played in an ATP Tour event in February in Buenos Aires, he put together a couple of ATP Challenger Tour wins in recent weeks and is now back on the main tour as a wild card for this 250 level tournament. Cilic effectively missed all of 2023 and most of 2024 due to injuries, but he has not retired from professional tennis. American Zachary Svajda is his opponent, he has nearly broken into the top 100 and is 3-7 at tour level this year, with a much better record on the Challenger Tour. Svajda is improving, and not knowing Cilic’s level, it’s hard to make him a favorite just because he was once a stalwart in the top 10. Svajda in 2
Luca Nardi vs Fabian Marozsan
Nardi is 4-10 at tour level, and 10-4 at Challenger Tour level this season, the top 50 Hungarian Marozsan is 20-24 on the season and has played fully at ATP level this year. Marozsan is a player at a higher level of the ATP Tour and presumably has the skillset to dispatch the lower ranked Nardi and make a run here. Marozsan in 2
Luciano Darderi vs Mikhail Kukushkin
24-18 on the year, Luciano Darderi is a revalation this season, the 22 year old has already won an ATP Tour title (Cordoba), and was a very strong player on the Challenger Tour, a level he graduated from quickly. Darderi does prefer clay, while the former top 40 Kukushkin has long been a stalwart on indoor hard courts. Kukushkin hasn’t notably featured on the ATP Tour in two years, and last won double digit ATP matches all the way back in 2019. Kukushkin is still too good for the Challenger Tour (26-13 in 2024) but is no longer the player he was, and Darderi should overcome the surface disadvantage.
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
