Hang Seng Bank Hong Kong Slam: Friday Fireworks at Kai Tak Arena Set Up Loaded Semis

Quarterfinal day is rarely kind to the faint of heart, and Friday at Kai Tak Arena in Hong Kong, China, was no exception. By the time the last point was played at the Hang Seng Bank Hong Kong Slam 2026, 20 quarterfinals across five Pro events had been settled, with some tight three-game battles and a few downright one-sided affairs.

Singles Draws Go the Distance

If there was drama to be found, it was in the singles draws. Federico Staksrud had to dig deep to beat Jack Wong Hong-kit, 8-11, 11-9, 12-10, surviving a pair of tight games to book a date with Hunter Johnson. Johnson, for his part, had it a bit easier, seeing off Connor Garnett 11-9, 11-4.

Meanwhile, Tama Shimabukuro edged Grayson Goldin, 11-9, 8-11, 11-6, and he will now take on Noe Khlif, who stunned Christopher Haworth 13-11, 11-3.

On the women’s side, Judit Castillo outlasted Kaitlyn Christian 11-9, 5-11, 12-10 in a real nail-biter. Kiora Kunimoto came from behind to beat Yufei Long 8-11, 11-6, 11-3, and Sahra Dennehy did likewise against Rika Fujiwara, winning 6-11, 11-8, 3-11 in reverse, which is to say 11-6, 8-11, 11-3. Andie Dikosavljevic, meanwhile, needed only two games to get by Chao Yi Wang, 11-8, 11-6.

Here’s a fun wrinkle: Castillo and Kunimoto will now face each other in the semifinals, just hours after losing together in women’s doubles.

Blowouts and a Comeback in the Doubles

Not everything was a squeaker. In Men’s Doubles, Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio steamrolled Collin Johns and Len. Yang 11-3, 11-3, while F. Staksrud and H. Patriquin were just as ruthless against Q. Do and H. Truong, winning 11-4, 11-2.

In women’s doubles, Tyra Hurricane Black and Jorja Johnson shrugged off a lost second game to bury Mari Humberg and Cailyn Campbell 11-3, 7-11, 11-0. Then there was the comeback of the day: Sofia Sewing and Catherine Parenteau dropped the first game against Castillo and Kunimoto, 8-11, only to win the next two by an identical 11-1, 11-1.

A Shutout in Mixed Doubles

And then there was mixed doubles, where Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters obliterated Jonathan Truong and Jesse Irvine 11-1, 11-0. Yes, a shutout. Ting Chieh Wei and Hunter Johnson fought back from a game down to edge Dylan Frazier and Kaitlyn Christian 5-11, 11-5, 11-9, while JW and Jorja Johnson ran away with the third game, 9-11, 11-8, 11-2, against Eric Oncins and Black. Anna Bright and Hayden Patriquin, for their part, dispatched Dennehy and Shimabukuro in straight games, 11-9, 11-5.

Saturday’s Semifinal Lineup

Men’s Singles

• Noe Khlif vs. Tama Shimabukuro
• Federico Staksrud vs. Hunter Johnson

Women’s Singles

• Judit Castillo vs. Kiora Kunimoto
• Andie Dikosavljevic vs. Sahra Dennehy

Men’s Doubles

• B. Johns / G. Tardio vs. T. Shimabukuro / J. Johnson
• F. Staksrud / H. Patriquin vs. C. Garnett / D. Frazier

Women’s Doubles

• A. Bright / A. Waters vs. S. Sewing / C. Parenteau
• T. Black / J. Johnson vs. R. Rohrabacher / P. Todd

Mixed Doubles

• B. Johns / A. Waters vs. T. Wei / H. Johnson
• A. Bright / H. Patriquin vs. J. Johnson / J. Johnson

With the field narrowed and plenty of players still alive in multiple events, the weekend looks set to be a busy one in Hong Kong.