Zhang Zhizhen narrowly defeated Bu Yunchaokete to claim his first victory since returning at the China Derby.

In the opening round of the 2025 ATP250 Hangzhou men's singles main draw, during a China Derby match, last year’s finalist Zhang Zhizhen overcame two match points in the final set and narrowly beat Bu Yunchaokete 6-7(2)/6-4/7-6(3), earning his first win since returning. His next opponent will be lucky loser Svrčina.

Bu Yunchaokete and Zhang Zhizhen

Their only previous ATP Tour meeting took place last year in the Hangzhou semifinals, where Zhang Zhizhen won 7-6(3)/6-4. In today’s match, the first set was fiercely contested, reaching 6-6 after twelve games, with Bu Yunchaokete saving two set points in the tenth game. In the tiebreak, Bu Yunchaokete played more steadily, taking it 7-2 to claim the first set.

In the second set, Zhang Zhizhen, undeterred by the previous set loss, broke serve at 4-4 and then held serve comfortably to win 6-4 and even the match. The final set saw another intense battle, with both players holding serve through twelve games. Zhang Zhizhen saved two match points in the tenth game and then excelled in the tiebreak, winning 7-3 to seal a 2-1 victory over Bu Yunchaokete and advance to the second round.

Sun Fajing

Another Chinese player, Sun Fajing, was defeated 3-6/2-6 by Italian player Zeppieri, failing to advance. Defending champion Cilic lost 4-6/6-4/6-3 to American qualifier Basavareddy after leading, while eighth seed Berrettini was upset by lucky loser Svrčina 3-6/3-6, both exiting in the first round.

Huang Zelin

At the concurrent ATP250 Chengdu event, wildcard entrant from Hong Kong, China, Huang Zelin lost 3-6/2-6 to qualifier Daniel Taro, missing out on a second-round spot. Sixth seed Pericard and eighth seed Sonego advanced past the first round, while French star Monfils withdrew due to injury.

Photo: Courtesy of the event organizers