Hubert Hurkacz retires injured against Alex de Minaur in Beijing semi-final

Semi-final retirement in Beijing

On Monday, Hubert Hurkacz retired during the second set of his China Open semi-final against fifth-seeded Alex de Minaur. The Polish player trailed 4:6, 2:3 and faced a 40-0 deficit on De Minaur's serve in the sixth game before choosing to stop the match. The victory sent De Minaur into the final and improved his head-to-head record against Hurkacz to four wins in five tour meetings.

De Minaur established control in the opening set, winning four consecutive games from the start and securing two breaks of serve. Hurkacz recovered one break but could not level the set, which De Minaur closed out 6:4. In the second set, De Minaur broke serve in the third game and generated four additional break points in the fifth game. Hurkacz held serve with difficulty for 2:3 while attempting to shorten rallies, but he withdrew after De Minaur took a 40-0 lead in the next game.

Thigh injury and medical background

Hurkacz struggled with mobility throughout the second set due to a left thigh muscle strain sustained during Sunday's quarter-final against Karen Khachanov. In that match, Hurkacz called for a medical timeout during the opening set and returned with supportive tape on his left thigh, eventually securing a 7:6(2), 6:2 victory.

Information released by Hurkacz's team through journalist Michał Chojecki confirmed that the strained thigh muscle prevented the player from competing at 100% capacity, prompting the withdrawal to prevent a more severe injury. Following the match, De Minaur addressed Hurkacz's physical condition and reflected on his own performance.

I wish Hubi a speedy recovery. I hope it is nothing serious and he can return to play in Shanghai. He is one of the nicest players on tour, so I wish him all the best.

I started very well, playing solid and aggressive tennis. I returned very well, which allowed me to break his serve.

Tournament results and Shanghai outlook

The Beijing semi-final concluded Hurkacz's second deep run in China within two weeks. At the Chengdu Open the previous week, Hurkacz defeated Aleksandar Shevchenko, Martin Damm, Lloyd Harris, and Denis Shapovalov before losing the final 6:4, 7:6(7) to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who saved four set points in the second set. In Beijing, Hurkacz earned victories over Learner Tien, Arthur Gea, and Khachanov before facing De Minaur.

Hurkacz earned $107,375 for his final run in Chengdu and between $219,295 and $219,925 for reaching the semi-finals in Beijing, bringing his combined prize money from the two events to $327,300. The Beijing run also provided between 190 and 200 ATP ranking points, moving him up from 46th at the start of the Asian tour into the top 40.

The China Open final offers a champion's prize of $764,750, while the runner-up receives $411,480. In the second men's semi-final in Beijing, Novak Djokovic faced Daniil Medvedev. Hurkacz is scheduled to play next at the ATP Masters 1000 in Shanghai, which begins on Wednesday, 7 October. The tournament draw sets Hurkacz against Australia's James Duckworth in the first round, with the winner advancing to play Djokovic.