Hubert Hurkacz lost the Chengdu final 4-6, 6-7 to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina after missing four set points in his first ATP Tour final appearance in 16 months.
The 29-year-old Polish player was seeking his first tournament victory in 29 months, but fell short in a competitive contest that lasted one hour and 47 minutes.
Turning point in the opening set
The match began with an intense 12-minute opening game in which Hurkacz faced three break points. The Pole held his serve and both players settled into a quiet rhythm until Hurkacz earned a chance to break for a 4-2 lead. He failed to convert the opportunity, and Davidovich Fokina broke serve in the very next game.
That break proved to be the decisive moment of the first set. The Spaniard served awkward balls that caused major trouble for Hurkacz throughout the set. Although Hurkacz led 8-2 in total aces, his return game faltered alongside an unreliable forehand and difficulties on his second serve.
Set points missed in second set tie-break
The second set developed into a dominant battle of serves, with neither player conceding a break point across the first ten games. Hurkacz later recovered from a 15-40 deficit to defend two break points, taking the set into a tie-break.
Hurkacz established a 6-3 lead in the tie-break and held four set points to force a deciding set. However, Davidovich Fokina fought back to claim the tie-break and secure the tournament victory.
Route to the final and head-to-head history
Hurkacz reached the final by overcoming Canadian player Denis Shapovalov, bouncing back after losing the opening set. Davidovich Fokina earned his place in the final by defeating Georgian qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. The Spaniard had also won the previous meeting between the two players nearly three years ago.
The Chengdu Open is an ATP Tour tennis tournament held annually in Chengdu, China. The ATP Tour is the elite global circuit for men's professional tennis, where players earn ranking points that determine their world standings and tournament seeding throughout the season.
Ranking movement and upcoming Beijing tournament
Despite the defeat, reaching the final lifted Hurkacz to 39th in the ATP world rankings, while Davidovich Fokina moved to 26th. Hurkacz will next travel to Beijing to play Learner Tien in the first round of his next tournament.
