Who will win the title at the first edition of the Hangzhou Open? China’s Zhizhen Zhang takes on the 2014 US Open champion, Marin Cilic, in the finals on Tuesday, September 24. For Zhang, this is his first ATP Tour final, but for Marin, this is his 37th career final on the ATP Tour and also his first since October 2022. In February this year, Marin suffered a knee injury and was sidelined for several months after that.

However, with his recent win against America’s Brandon Nakashima in the semifinals, he has now become the second-lowest-ranked player to make it through to an ATP final. Can the 35-year-old Croatian now become the lowest-ranked player ever to win a title? Well, beating Zhizhen Zhang on Chinese soil will not be easy!

Marin Cilic vs Zhizhen Zhang: Preview

Marin Cilic’s best result this season so far has been reaching the quarterfinals of the Cassis Open Provence. Apart from that, there haven’t been any noteworthy performances from him this season. However, beating the in-form Nakashima in the semifinals 6-4, 7-6(6) will surely boost his confidence a lot before the finals.

Zhizhen Zhang has now become just the third Chinese man in history to reach a tour-level championship match. If we take a look at his record this season, Zhang has made quite a few deep runs in tournaments this year. He reached the quarterfinals at the Open 13 and Italian Open, followed by a semifinal run at the Halle Open. Zhang even reached the quarterfinals at the German Open! So the 27-year-old Chinese player looks in good form this season. He defeated his compatriot, Bu Yunchaokete, in the semifinals 7-6(3), 6-4.

Cilic vs Zhang: Head-to-Head

Well, Marin Cilic and Zhizhen Zhang have never faced each other on the Tour before. So, they’ll be keen to bring out their best game in their first meeting. Can the experience of the Croatian make things tougher for Zhang on his home soil?

Prediction: Zhang to win in straight sets

Zhizhen Zhang (43) is currently China’s number-one tennis player, so there are high expectations for him in this match. His consistency this season has truly been praiseworthy. Zhang has a win-loss record of 25-23 this season. On the other hand, Marin Cilic is currently ranked 373 in the world, and his win-loss record is just 4-6. Making a comeback from injury is always tough, but his enormous experience on the Tour can cause a few troubles for the Chinese player in this match.

Marin Cilic is more of an aggressive baseliner who likes to use his height (6 ft 6 inches) to hit big off both wings. His game is heavily dependent on his powerful serve. Cilic has hit 56 aces in his four matches in Hangzhou! Apart from that, he also takes big swings on the return and plays first-strike tennis for the most part in his matches. Cilic also loves coming to the net and finishing points. He has big groundstrokes in his arsenal, and his incredible reach can make things tough for Zhang. However, he can be a bit error-prone on his backhand during matches.

Zhizhen Zhang also has a great first serve and powerful groundstrokes. His tenacity on the court is what makes him a special player on the Tour! Zhang can use the baseline very well, and he also has the ability to disguise his opponents with drop shots. However, his biggest weapon is his serve, and guess what? Zhang has hit 320 aces so far this season. We expect him to win the title in Hangzhou by hammering his aces against the experienced campaigner Marin Cilic.