The magical pattern reappears: if Wu Yibing eliminates Moutet in the qualifiers, Moutet will surely go further in the main event.

It is widely acknowledged that professional tennis tournaments consist of main draws and qualifying rounds. The withdrawal of higher-ranked players means that those who lose in the final round of qualifiers might still enter the main event, and these players are known as lucky losers. Typically, the draw for lucky losers is less advantageous than that for players who emerge from the qualifiers, which increases their difficulty in progressing. Nevertheless, there are exceptions. For instance, when Wu Yibing eliminated a player in the final round of the Grand Slam and tour qualifiers, that player ended up being a lucky loser and made it to the main draw, ultimately going further than Wu Yibing. So, who is this player? Let this article take you on a journey to find out.

This player is Moutet. In 2022, Wu Yibing faced him in the final round of the US Open qualifiers. At that time, Wu Yibing had already achieved a twelve-match winning streak and was in high spirits. In this match, Wu Yibing defeated Moutet in straight sets, becoming the first Chinese male tennis player to reach the main draw of the US Open. However, due to the withdrawal of some higher-ranked players, Moutet became a lucky loser and also entered the US Open main event.

Subsequently, Wu Yibing consecutively defeated former China Open champion Nikoloz Basilashvili from Georgia and Portugal's Nuno Borges, who also achieved his first Grand Slam main draw victory. Not only did he break the curse of Chinese male players not winning in Grand Slam main draws, but he also became the first Chinese male player to reach the last 32 of a Grand Slam. Although he was defeated in the third round by former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev from Russia, Wu Yibing still achieved his best career result in a Grand Slam.

On the other side, Moutet cruised through the first round, defeating three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka from Switzerland, and in the second round, he defeated Dutch player Tallon Griekspoor, also reaching the third round. This marked the second time in his career that he made it to the last 32 of a Grand Slam. In the third round, Moutet defeated Argentine player Tomás Martín Etcheverry, marking his first entry into the last 16 of a Grand Slam. Although he lost to Norwegian player Casper Ruud in the round of 16 and could not advance further, he still went further than Wu Yibing.

Last week, Wu Yibing and Moutet met again in the final round of the ATP 500 Washington Open qualifiers. This time, despite Wu Yibing losing the first set, he came back to win the next two sets, defeating Moutet and advancing to the main draw. Moutet, once again, became a lucky loser due to the withdrawal of higher-ranked players and also entered the main draw, even advancing directly to the second round.

After defeating French veteran Gilles Simon and Australian player Alex de Minaur, who has won Masters titles, Wu Yibing achieved his first two consecutive victories in the main draw of the tour in the 2025 season, reaching the last 16. However, in the round of 16, facing former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev from Russia, Wu Yibing fought hard but ultimately lost, failing to advance further. Nevertheless, he secured a spot in the US Open qualifiers with a four-match winning streak.

Meanwhile, Moutet easily defeated compatriot Hugo Gaston in the second round, advancing to the third round; in the third round, he again defeated British player Dan Evans in straight sets, going further than Wu Yibing once more. In the quarter-finals, Moutet faced former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev. After losing the first set in a tight match, Moutet showcased his heroism by winning the next two sets and defeating his opponent, advancing to the semifinals.

Although he was swept out of the semifinals by Australian player Alex de Minaur, the fact that Moutet managed to enter the main draw twice as a lucky loser after being eliminated by Wu Yibing in the qualifiers, and both times went further than Wu Yibing, is nothing short of a miracle. That concludes today's tennis story; stay tuned for more tomorrow.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Yixin Jushi)