And one. Before, perhaps, a 100% French duel with the title at stake, there will be at least one Frenchman in the final in Tokyo. Ugo Humbert did not let the opportunity pass on Monday against Tomas Machac, winning in three sets (6-3, 3-6, 6-2). This will be his third final of the year, the first since February, when he won two trophies in Marseille and then Dubai. In six attempts, Lorraine has never lost a final. This means that he will be able to calmly approach this deadline, whether against Arthur Fils or Holger Rune.
It was a match in three sets and three times for Humbert, quite clearly dominating in the initial part of the match before flying over the debates again from the middle of the third set. Between the two, he experienced a sluggishness in the second set, due to not having converted his entry break points. Tomas Machac then gained confidence and was able to rebalance the debates.
Return to the Top 15
But the Czech seemed to experience a real physical decline in the decisive set, unlike Ugo Humbert who was still just as impactful. From 2-2 in this final set, Messin completely unfolded, winning the last four games and even allowing himself to finish with a shutout on his opponent’s service. Overall, a solid match (despite a slightly weak first serve percentage, 55%) and sometimes even brilliant, like these 38 winning shots for only 22 unforced errors.
Humbert is really very good this week in the Japanese capital where, let’s remember, he was not even seeded on the starting line despite his ranking (19th). With this place in the final, he will return to the Top 15 next Monday, but above all it is an opportunity for him to seek a new title which would still already be the third in an ATP 500. For French tennis, it would be a great first in Tokyo since Jo-Wilfried Tsonga’s victory in 2009.
