Hangzhou
\n \u2018Composed\u2019 Korda back in business with serving clinic in Hangzhou <\/p>\n
American hits 20 aces past Walton; Royer sets Rublev meeting at Chinese ATP 250<\/p>\n
September 19, 2025<\/p>\n
Hangzhou Open <\/p>\n
Sebastian Korda owns a 15-11 record in 2025.
\n By ATP Staff<\/p>\n
Sebastian Korda<\/a> has had his fair share of injury woes in recent times, but he bounced back from his latest one in clinical fashion on Friday at the Lynk & Co Hangzhou Open.<\/p>\n The 25-year-old American, who was forced to retire from his first round at the US Open<\/a> last month, returned with a 7-5, 6-3 triumph over Adam Walton<\/a> at the Chinese ATP 250 event. Korda dropped serve in the opening game but reeled off four straight games from 3-5 in the first set and fired 20 aces throughout the 87-minute first-round clash.<\/p>\n Let’s go! \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8@SebiKorda<\/a> marks his Hangzhou debut 7-5 6-3 \ud83c\udd9a Walton@HangzhouOpen<\/a> | #HangzhouOpen<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/AfYXpR5xmf<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 ATP Tour (@atptour) September 19, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt was a tough match. He started off great\u2026 I didn\u2019t start off too well, but I kept my composure as much as I could,\u201d said Korda. \u201cI thought I served really well, and when you serve well it\u2019s a lot easier, so I\u2019m very happy with the performance today.\u201d<\/p>\n Korda was also sidelined for two-and-a-half months due to a right shin stress fracture after Roland Garros<\/a> and made his return in Winston-Salem, where he withdrew ahead of his semi-final match. Into the second round on his Hangzhou debut, Korda next meets Chinese wild card Wu Yibing<\/a>.<\/p>\n After beginning the year as the No. 22 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Korda now sits at No. 79 with a 15-11 record in 2025, according to the Infosys ATP Win\/Loss Index. He reached the Adelaide final in January and made the quarter-final at the ATP Masters 1000 in Miami before injuries hampered his progress.<\/p>\n Australian qualifier Rinky Hijikata<\/a> also advanced on Friday after a hard-fought 7-6(2), 6-4 victory over fifth seed Camilo Ugo Carabelli<\/a> \u2014 just his second win from nine tour-level matches this season. Hijikata converted 13 of 17 break points to set a second-round meeting with Tomas Martin Etcheverry<\/a>.<\/p>\n Watch Extended Highlights of Day 3 action in Hangzhou:\u00a0<\/p>\n Arthur Cazaux<\/a> recorded his first tour-level win on hard courts since January by moving past Matteo Arnaldi<\/a> 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 and levelling the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series at 1-1. The 23-year-old set an all-French second-round clash with fourth seed Corentin Moutet<\/a>.<\/p>\n Another Frenchman advancing on Friday was Valentin Royer<\/a>, who rallied past Aleksandar Kovacevic<\/a> 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-3 to tee up a clash with top seed Andrey Rublev<\/a>. The 24-year-old Royer has earned all four of his career tour-level wins this year and is at a career-high No. 88 in the PIF ATP Rankings.<\/p>\n In the final match of the day, Aleksandar Vukic<\/a> snapped a five-match tour-level losing streak by overcoming David Goffin<\/a> 6-4, 1-6, 6-1. He will next face third seed Alexander Bublik<\/a>, whom he leads 2-1 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n