While the first match in Shenzhen looked quite promising, Richard could not produce a proper follow-up. He lost to Juan Monaco in the quarters 6-7 4-6.
More than once, Richard had the upper hand in that match, but he wasted his opportunities and lost a close breaker for the first set. In the second set, one break sufficed for the Argentine to seal victory. In Beijing, Richard had an unlucky draw, facing a fully recovered and hungry Nadal. The Spaniard broke early in the first set, and even if Richard had breakpoints in three games, Nadal took the set 6-4. In the second set, Richard suffered from a poor first serve and Nadal profitted from it, even if the score 0-6 was a bit flattery. Richard's next scheduled tournament is Shanghai.