Michael Mmoh beats Karen Khachanov, Alexander Bublik to win 2026 opener in Hong Kong | ATP Tour

Hongkong

Mmoh deja vu, Khachanov distraught, Bublik wins in Hong Kong

Mmoh scores for Giron QF, Bublik wins first race of 2026

January 8, 2026

Michael Mmoh continued his promising start to 2026 at the Bank of China Hong Kong Open on Thursday, defeating old rival Karen Khachanov 7-6(2), 7-6(4) to reach the quarter-finals.

The American qualifier has just two wins on the 2025 ATP Tour, but he equaled that number in the first week of the new season as he defeated fourth seed Khachanov in straight sets. It marked Momo’s first victory over a top-20 opponent since 2023, when he also overtook Khachanov at the U.S. Open.

keep going! 💪

Michael Mmoh defeated Khachanov 7-6 7-6 in Hong Kong to advance.#bOCHKTO2026 pic.twitter.com/0vdC3atkEk

— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 8, 2026

“The funny thing is, my first ITF junior win was against Karen Khachanov, so we’ve been fighting since we were 14,” said Mmoh, who now holds a 2-0 lead over world No. 17 Khachanov in the Lexus ATP Head2Head Series. “He’s a great guy who’s had an incredible career, so just sharing the court with him I know I need to perform at the highest level possible.”

Momo, ranked 285th in the PIF ATP rankings, failed to win the second set at 5-4, but regrouped in the tie-break to advance to the ATP Tour quarterfinals for the seventh time. The 27-year-old will next face compatriot Marcos Giron, who defeated seventh seed and defending champion Alexander Muller 6-4, 7-6(4).

Previously, Chinese left-hander Shang Juncheng became the first player to reach the quarter-finals of all three events in Hong Kong since the ATP 250 returned in 2024. The 20-year-old hit 24 winners in a 6-3, 6-4 victory over fifth seed Lorenzo Sonego.

Shang, who missed six months of the 2025 season with a foot injury, next faces second-seeded Alexander Bublik, who opened the 2026 campaign with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Botic van de Zandschulp.

According to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, Bublik ends 2025 with a 30-9 record since Roland Garros, notably wins at Halle, Gstaad and Kitzbühel. The Kazakhstani has now reached a career-high world ranking of 11th and looks set to not let that slip away as he begins his quest for 2026.

“We tried a lot of things before coming here,” Bublik said of his preseason. “You never know what’s going to happen [in the first match]. We picked a tactic, we stuck with it and I played well, so I’m very happy with my performance. “