Ugo Humbert, so close, so far from the best

Still no quarter in a Major for French number one, Ugo Humbert, tamed on Sunday by Zverev (1-6, 6-2, 3-6, 2-6). After logically losing against Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz in the round of 16 at Wimbledon in 2019 and 2024, the left-hander surrenders for the third time at this stage of the competition in one of the four most prestigious tennis events. . And if this first 8^e Messin's final in Melbourne against Zverev was not of the same caliber as the recent final in Paris between the two men, the step was still too high.

Humbert looked closely at his prestigious opponent in the eyes in the second set and until the middle of the third. But not enough, not long enough. The specter of the remake of the final of the last Rolex Paris Masters initially hovered in the antipodes. At Bercy, Ugo Humbert was corrected (6-2, 6-2) by Jannik Sinner's runner-up in a completely one-sided final. Merciless to…