The Japan Open marks the final event of the Asian swing this season. The event will only last for a week, unlike the Shanghai Masters, which went on for over two weeks under the new schedule. Meanwhile, the home crowd received good news on the first day as Shintaro Mochizuki delivered in his opening match. Mochizuki beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-4, 7-6 (5) as the crowd rallied behind the Japanese player.
The 20-year-old won his first-ever ATP tour-level match in his backyard. Mochizuki had received a wildcard entry into the event and proved why he deserved it. It was his ninth match on the tour, and he was in tears after winning the match. Mochizuki could not believe he had gotten his first victory as he sat and composed himself by sitting on the chair and holding the towel.
Shintaro Mochizuki is in tears as he wins his first ever tour-level match.
Currently ranked #215.
Just beat the world #31 in front of his home crowd.
A beautiful moment he’ll never forget.
🇯🇵🥹
pic.twitter.com/fq1RLeP3rp— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) October 17, 2023
Mochizuki served two aces and won 52 percent of his service points. In contrast, Etcheverry was down 0-3 in the second set tiebreak and took the next three points to level the score. The home crowd favorite handled the pressure well to take the set and win the match in two hours. Mochizuki will next face a daunting task as he faces Taylor Fritz in the next match.
Shintaro Mochizuki faces biggest matchup at Japan Open
Mochizuki will play against a top-ten-ranked player for the first time in his career at the Japan Open. The world No.215 will play the fourth round against Fritz on the 19th of October. The fourth round matches will begin from tomorrow as the players get ready to secure as many points in the Masters 500 event. Fritz will need a win to get closer to the Nitto ATP qualifications.
As for Mochizuki, he won the challenger title at Barletta and has had a good year on the challenger tour. The fifth-ranked Japanese player will attempt to enter the top 200 of the rankings by the end of the season. He was ranked No.192 three months back and can expect a major change in the rankings after the Japan Open. There are currently only two players in the top 100 of the rankings.
Taylor #Fritz (n°10) 🇺🇸 franchit le premier tour du #kinoshitajotennis de Tokyo ! Tête de série n°1, il élimine Cameron #Norrie (n°18) 🇬🇧 en deux sets 6-4, 6-3. Next ➡️ Tomas Martin #Etcheverry (n°31) 🇦🇷 ou Shintaro #Mochizuki (n°215) 🇯🇵. #ATPTour
📸 : @japanopentennis pic.twitter.com/fsY8CmPO0M
— Jeu, Set Et Match (@jeu_set_etmatch) October 17, 2023
Mochizuki is one of the youngest professional players from Japan and is gaining valuable experience now. In contrast, Fritz has already won 52 matches this season. The American has not reached the quarterfinals since the US Open and had an early exit at the Shanghai Masters.