Collignon upsets idol Dimitrov; Perricard and Nakashima reach quarterfinals in Brisbane

Belgian qualifier Raphael Collignon ended Grigor Dimitrov’s continued comeback at the Brisbane International on Thursday when he upset the two-time champion 7-6(1), 6-3.

Dimitrov suffered a pectoral injury at Wimbledon and returned three matches later at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Paris, earning a win against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in late October. However, his comeback was brief, with the 34-year-old withdrawing ahead of his second-round match.

Competing again this week, Dimitrov defeated Pablo Carreno Busta in his first match in Brisbane but was unable to make inroads on the Collignon serve in their one-hour, 49-minute clash. The 23-year-old saved all three break points he faced and won 82 per cent (36/44) of his first-serve points, according to Infosys ATP Stats, en route to triumphing. Collignon is up 13 spots to No. 71 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings and is set to rise to a career high on Monday.

“It was an honour for me to play against Grigor,” Collignon said. “I was watching him as a kid when at home and now I am playing against him, so it was a great pleasure to play against a great champion in Grigor, and I am very happy with the way I played.”

Into his second tour-level quarterfinal, Collignon will next meet Brandon Nakashima. The American downed Frenchman Quentin Halys 6-2, 6-4 to advance to his second quarterfinal on Australian soil.

In other action, Mpetshi Perricard backed up his upset win against fourth seed Tommy Paul with a hard-fought 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(4) victory against Australian qualifier Rinky Hijikata. The big-serving Frenchman, who struck 53 winners against Hijikata, has fond memories at the ATP 250 event in Brisbane, having advanced to the semifinals last season. Aiming to match that record this week, Mpetshi Perricard will next face Aleksander Kovacevic.

Kovacevic beat seventh seed Cameron Norrie 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-4 to improve to 2-0 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

Shang Juncheng became the first player to reach all three Hong Kong quarterfinals since the ATP 250 returned in 2024

Shang Juncheng reaches Hong Kong quarters

Michael Mmoh continued his statement start to 2026 on Thursday at the Bank of China Hong Kong Open, where he upset familiar foe Karen Khachanov 7-6(2), 7-6(4) to reach the quarterfinals.

The American qualifier notched just two wins on the ATP Tour in 2025, but with his straight-sets victory over the fourth-seeded Khachanov, he has already matched that number in the first week of the new season. It marked Mmoh’s first win over a Top 20 opponent since 2023, when he also moved past Khachanov at the US Open.

“Funnily enough, my first ITF junior win was against Karen Khachanov, so we’ve been battling from the age of 14,” said Mmoh, who now leads World No. 17 Khachanov 2-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series. “He’s a great guy who’s had an unbelievable career, so just to share the court with him, I knew I needed to play at the highest level possible.”

Mmoh, the No. 285 in the PIF ATP Rankings, failed to serve out the match at 5-4 in the second set, but regrouped in a tidy tie-break to advance to his seventh ATP Tour quarter-final. The 27-year-old will next face countryman Marcos Giron, who earlier upset seventh seed and defending champion Alexandre Muller 6-4, 7-6(4).

Earlier, Chinese left-handed player Shang Juncheng became the first player to reach all three Hong Kong quarterfinals since the ATP 250 returned in 2024. The 20-year-old hit 24 winners in his 6-3, 6-4 victory over fifth seed Lorenzo Sonego.

Shang, who missed six months of the 2025 season due to a foot injury, will next face second seed Alexander Bublik, who opened his 2026 with a laser-focused 6-3, 6-3 win over Botic van de Zandschulp.

Bublik finished 2025 with a 30-9 record since Roland Garros, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, highlighted by titles in Halle, Gstaad and Kitzbuehel. Now at a career-high World No. 11, the Kazakhstani doesn’t seem to want to let that form slip as he starts his 2026 quest.

“We tried many things before arriving here,” Bublik said of his preseason. “You never know what’s going to happen [in the first match]. We chose a tactic, we stuck to it, and I played well, so I’m really happy with the way I performed.”