New Delhi, Dec 14 (IANS): World no 5 tennis player Andrey Rublev is set to lead the field at the Hong Kong Tennis Open in the opening week of the 2024 season.

Rublev enjoyed a standout 2023 season, winning titles at the Monte-Carlo Masters and in Bastad to finish in the Top 5 for the first time. He will begin the 2024 season at the ATP 250 in Hong Kong, with the first edition of the tournament since 2002 to begin main-draw play on 1 January, ATP tour reports.

Other notable names on the entry list include Frances Tiafoe, Marin Cilic, Mackenzie McDonald and Karen Khachanov.

China's Shang Juncheng will also compete in Hong Kong. The rising #NextGenATP star broke into the Top 150 of the ATP Rankings for the first time in 2023 and will now look to hit new heights before his 19th birthday in February.

The latest staging of the Hong Kong event will add to its rich history, with former champions including Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi Michael Chang, Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, Jim Courier and Juan Carlos Ferrero.