Ugo Humbert of France defeated 4th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 in the third round of the Shanghai Masters in China on Monday. The No. 32 seed Humbert matched his personal high for wins in a season (24 in 2020) and advanced to the final 16 of an ATP Masters 1000 event for the third time (two in 2020).
The Frenchman defeated another top 10 player, Andrey Rublev last week and has followed it up with a win over Tsitsipas. Ugo Humbert achieved a rare feat of defeating two top 10 players in the same week, in the same country across two tournaments.
Humbert could become first French player to win title in China
Many French men’s singles players have tried their hand at winning a title in China but failed to do so on every occasion. Humbert’s predecessors such as Gael Monfils, Richard Gasquet, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gilles Simon have all failed to achieve this feat. This could motivate Humbert, who is on the verge of rewriting history books.
Ugo Humbert broke in the second game of the third set to take a 3-0 lead. Tsitsipas rallied in the seventh game to tie the match at 4-4. Humbert took a 5-4 lead after winning a deuce game. With a backhand pass, the Frenchman gained a match point before forcing an error from Tsitsipas with a defensive backhand to earn the vital break in the final game.
Speaking to the media after the game, Humbert was happy with his performance and admitted that he has been playing well since the Davis Cup. The Frenchman was also thrilled to beat another Top 10 player in Tsitsipas after his recent victory over Andrey Rublev in Beijing.
“I’m so happy. It’s a big win against Tsitsipas, a Top 10 player. I feel a lot of confidence on the court and I’m very proud that I won this match. I’m just enjoying playing tennis. It’s a big passion for me. It’s all the work during all the year. Since Davis Cup I’ve played really great tennis and I’m very happy to play like this.”
Humbert will face the United States’ unseeded player, J.J Wolf in the fourth round after he overcame a one-set deficit to defeat Matteo Arnaldi. This will be a golden opportunity for Humbert to make it to the quarterfinals of the Shanghai Masters. However, the Frenchman will have to perform at his best.
The rise and rise of Ugo Humbert
Humbert’s journey through the tennis world has been incredible so far. He began his tennis career at an early age, having been born on June 26, 1998 in Metz, France. The Frenchman gradually developed his skills under his coach Christophe Meda and is now one of the young players to watch out for on the Tour. However, with the ATP Tour filled with young talented players, it will be interesting to see Humbert’s journey in the coming months.
Humbert has shown remarkable form in 2023, constantly competing at a high level. His recent success has positioned him as a possible successor to the likes of Gael Monfils and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who have carried French tennis on the international stage. Not only does the Frenchman have the talent, but he also has the flair to succeed in tennis.
