Local Star Wu Shocks Medvedev in Thrilling Hangzhou Quarterfinal
Royer and Moutet to clash in all-French semi-final at the ATP 250 event in China
September 21, 2025
Hangzhou Open
Wu Yibing clinches his first ATP Tour semi-final since 2023.
By ATP Staff
Wu Yibing delivered a sensational performance for his home crowd on Sunday at the Lynk & Co Hangzhou Open, where he staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Daniil Medvedev 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-4.
The local hero fell behind by a set and a break but rallied with poise and precision in the final set to secure a spot in his first semi-final since his victorious run in Dallas in 2023. Awaiting him are either the lucky loser Dalibor Svrcina or the third seed Alexander Bublik.
In a gripping three-hour, 11-minute contest, Medvedev piled up 17 aces. However, with the match on his racket at 5-4 in the second set, he committed two critical double faults—offering Wu a lifeline. The former Nitto ATP Finals champion is currently ranked 22nd in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin, and this was his first tournament since parting ways with his longtime coach, Gilles Cervara.
“I got a bit fortunate in the second set, but I was giving it my all,” Wu reflected, marking his first Head2Head victory over Medvedev (1-2). “The crowd backed me like family. Daniil is an incredibly tough opponent, especially for my style of play. I had to elevate my game, and I’m thrilled I did today.”
Having faced a lengthy injury hiatus from March 2019 until January 2022, Wu battled through persistent issues, including elbow surgery and complications with his lower back, shoulder, and wrist. Although he clinched an ATP Challenger Tour title in Tyler this June, this marks just his fourth tour-level event of the current season.
“This means everything to me, especially performing at home,” he said. “The last few years have been challenging, but I’ve overcome a lot. Winning three matches in a row isn’t easy. I hope to return tomorrow without feeling too fatigued.”
In other quarter-final matchups in Hangzhou, Valentin Royer backed up his impressive victory over top seed Andrey Rublev by overcoming Learner Tien 7-6(0), 4-6, 6-2 to secure his first ATP Tour semi-final appearance. After trailing by a break in the final set, the 24-year-old Frenchman ignited a late surge, converting all three of his break points according to Infosys ATP Stats, to clinch the two-hour, 38-minute battle.
“I’m absolutely overjoyed! The crowd was fantastic. You all showed me such love, and I appreciate it,” Royer expressed in a post-match interview, even taking a moment to thank the audience in Mandarin. “In the second set, he was flawless, and I fell behind in the third, but somehow I came out on top—I’m thrilled.”
Before entering this year’s Hangzhou event, Royer had never won consecutive matches at the tour level. His impressive performance has propelled him five spots up to a career-high No. 83 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.
Royer will face fellow French player Corentin Moutet in a semi-final clash. Moutet secured his place when Tomas Martin Etcheverry was forced to retire mid-match; although Moutet dropped the first set 3-6, he was leading 3-0 in the second when Etcheverry could no longer continue.
Additionally, Moutet is at a career-best ranking of No. 37 in the PIF ATP Rankings this week. The 26-year-old saved two match points in his second-round victory over Arthur Cazaux and has now reached his third semi-final of the season.
