Hubert Hurkacz faced a challenging exit at the ATP 500 tournament in Beijing, ultimately withdrawing from his semifinal match against Alex de Minaur due to physical struggles. The Polish tennis star was trailing 4:6, 2:3 with 0:40 down in the second set when he made the decision to stop playing Sport.pl. The abrupt end to the encounter sent the Australian opponent straight through to the tournament final.
Before reaching the final four in the Chinese capital, the Wrocław native enjoyed a strong run on Asian courts, which included a trip to the ATP tournament final in Chengdu where he fell only to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. In the Beijing quarterfinals, Hurkacz secured a solid victory over Karen Khachanov with a score of 7:6 (7-2), 6:2. Meanwhile, his semifinal opponent De Minaur advanced after a two-hour battle against Andrey Rublev, winning 1:6, 6:2, 6:3 Sport.pl.
Physical Distress Hampers Hurkacz in Semifinal Clash
The semifinal clash marked the fifth career meeting between Hurkacz and De Minaur. Prior to the match, historical statistics showed the Polish player had triumphed just once against the Australian, with that sole victory coming more than seven years ago. The latest encounter began competitively, but physical difficulties quickly mounted for the Polish competitor.
As the second set progressed to 4:6 and 2:3, observers noted clear signs of distress. Reporting from the courtside text coverage detailed that Hurkacz showed a grimace of pain and grew increasingly unable to chase down opponent shots. At 0:40 down in the crucial fifth game of the second set, the physical strain forced him to concede the match, sealing De Minaur’s advancement to the championship match in Beijing.
Next Steps on the Tour
Tournament organizers and officials will look toward the remaining fixtures of the ATP 500 event as the Australian competitor prepares to contest the final.
