There are no lost causes when your name is Ugo Humbert. Jordan Thompson learned this the hard way during the tie-break of the second set of his quarter-final against the Frenchman at Bercy. The Australian thought he had done the hardest part by returning to the court to conclude, except that no. Humbert sends it back into the air, once, twice… the last defense flies so high that it threatens to hit the panel suspended 15 meters higher. The fall is endless, if life were an episode of Prince of Tennis, there would have been room for a flashback episode of Ugo's life. Thompson's prayers for the ball to come out went unanswered, back to square one. Adrenaline takes over the room, the crowd breaks the chains of silence and it is in a football stadium that Humbert finally wins the point. The Australian will not recover. 6-2, 7-6, this way the semis. The biggest performance of the French number one in Masters 1000.
« [Sur ce point]I have the impression that I was Alcaraz, he laughed at a press conference. I saw the first lob and anticipated it the right way. I see that she is passing very close to the sign and I say to myself that maybe she will hit and in fact, I see that she is perfect. The last lob that I put up there, I tell myself that it's monstrous. I kept hanging on until the end and he missed. It was time to look for the audience to make them a little stressed. »
In addition to delighting Bercy, the sequence had the merit of crystallizing the aura of invincibility that has emanated from the Mosellan since his entry onto the court in the previous round against Carlos Alcaraz. Against Thompson, he pulled the same first set out of his racket, for a similar result. Could the recipe for success be in this stifling start of intensity and deadly passing? Or in denial of the backlash that followed in the second set? “My psychologist told me earlier that fatigue is like a cloud, it passes. » Unsinkable, they tell you. One wonders what could prevent him from bringing the cup home to Bercy.
But who can stop Ugo?
A ban on talking in your chair: This is THE discovery of this Masters 1000 in Bercy. When the match gets tense and things go less well, Ugo is delirious (joke for those aged 30 and over). He launches into pep talk in his chair. Against Alcaraz there was “play with your heart”, “fight like a dog, it’s the last Bercy”. Facing Thompson, he did it again. His coach Jérémy Chardy laughs that we might think that this is something new. “It’s a normal day for me. It's his way of concentrating, of motivating himself before matches, even during them. He likes to talk to himself out loud and tell himself what to do. Except that there, everyone saw it. I think if you watch videos of all the side changes, there must be a few where you see him talking to himself. » Provided that the ATP does not invent an anti-monologue rule.
A surprise surface change: If Alcaraz complained about the surface after his defeat in the 8th, Humbert loves Bercy. “I play very well on these surfaces. I have two strikes on both sides which go very quickly. » It would therefore be necessary to dump a truckload of clay on the center of the Parisian venue to bury the Frenchman's ambitions: at Roland-Garros, he never got past the 2nd round.
Put empty boxes at Bercy: Another poison of the Porte d'Auteuil which should definitely not be imported into the south-east of the capital, the cemetery atmosphere of the Roland-Garros Central and its sparse stands. Otherwise, his communion with the Bercy public will continue to give Humbert a transcendental advantage over his adversaries. “I feel so good with you,” declared the 18th player in the world on court after his victory in the quarterfinals. As soon as I go on court, I feel great, I try not to think and enjoy. » “He’s lucky to play at home,” analyzes his coach. There is Bercy and Metz, his two favorite tournaments. I think it helps him feel so good and fresh in his head and body. It transcends him to be here, really. »
The parpaings of Karen Khachanov: More than Alexander Zverev, probable finalist in the other part of the table, the Russian appears as the final boss due to his appetite for the indoor game. Future opponent of the Frenchman in the semi-finals, Khachanov crushed Grigor Dimitrov (6-2, 6-3) with great blows from the baseline, suggesting an ordeal for Ugo. Especially since the Russian has already managed to beat a Frenchman this week (Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard) “Kachanov, he is good on this surface, but he also has weak points, reassures Jérémy Chardy. I'll see my tactics. » So maybe?
