Rinky Hijikata qualified for the Queen’s Club main draw and beat Alejandro Tabilo in straight sets. Jiri Lehecka, the tournament’s second seed, holds a 2-0 head-to-head lead over Hijikata. Hijikata’s win moves him into the round of 16 on June 18 and raises the stakes before Wimbledon.
Rinky Hijikata vs Alejandro Tabilo
Hijikata reached the main draw this week in London by winning three qualifying matches, then removed Alejandro Tabilo in the opening round in straight sets. That sequence — three qualifying victories plus the main-draw win — is part of a run that leaves him with four of his last five matches won, a clear source of momentum heading into the deeper draw.
Jiri Lehecka Next Test
Jiri Lehecka is the second seed this week and leads Hijikata 2-0 in their head-to-head meetings. Although Rinky Hijikata has won four of his last five matches, the 0-2 H2H deficit and Lehecka’s seeding frame the round-of-16 clash as a major step up in opposition for the qualifier.
Tommy Paul and Field Context
Tommy Paul also advanced at Queen’s Club, defeating Svajda in straight sets while hitting 15 aces and saving all five breakpoints he faced, performance markers that underline the level of competition Hijikata will meet if he progresses. Hamad Medjedovic reached the same stage by beating Rinderknech in two tiebreaks, and Ugo Humbert beat Marin Cilic in straight sets while both offering and saving three breakpoints, further compressing quality across the draw.
Botic van de Zandschulp’s form provides additional context for the week: he lost to Griekspoor in three sets last week in Hertogenbosch but has a straight-sets win in London over Wendelken, illustrating how recent results across surfaces are feeding into players’ momentum heading into Wimbledon.
The practical change for followers is simple: Hijikata moves from qualifier to a seeded opponent in the main draw, and his immediate next step is a higher-stakes match against Lehecka on June 18 at the ATP Queen’s Club. Can Rinky Hijikata extend his London run against Jiri Lehecka?
