A one-sided finale. We even have the impression that it never really started. Physically exhausted, probably also mentally exhausted after his fantastic week, Ugo Humbert completely missed the biggest meeting of his career, facing Alexander Zverev, in the final of the Rolex Paris Masters, who was experiencing his last emotion at the Accor Arena before migrating to La Défense. Overwhelmed, inconsistent and harmless, the Frenchman lost in two straight sets and only 1h16 of play (6-2, 6-2).
The statistics of this meeting, and in particular of the first round, are clear. The longer the exchanges lasted, the fewer points Messin gained. Devilishly precise without taking too many risks, author of only four unforced errors in the first set, the German, who will be second in the world this Monday, won the vast majority of arm wrestling, 78% of rallies of more than nine strikes going into his purse.
Ugo Humbert never found the solution. Lost and dominated by the length of his opponent's balls, the 18th in the world never stopped begging for advice from his coach, Jérémy Chardy, placed in first place. “Stay behind the ball, don’t try to hit winners with every shot,” he told her several times. But nothing happened. After two breaks, including one conceded after a completely missed forehand, Alexander Zverev concluded the first set.
Zverev will remain the last winner at Bercy
Le Messin then decided to try his best: a toilet break. The day before, after the loss of the first set in the tie-break against Karen Khachanov, it had been saving, and had allowed the Frenchman to get his thoughts back in place. This was not the case this Sunday, far from it. Broken from the start, static, Ugo Humbert could only watch the points go by, helpless. He still snatched two games, for form, but could not do much more (6-2).
Alexander Zverev probably didn't expect to have such a quiet Sunday. Winner of his 7th Masters 1000, the German had focused more on training this week, even returning to the field after his matches, even if it meant leaving a few feathers there.
“When I have to play against Jannik (Sinner) and Carlos (Alcaraz), there are certain compartments where they play better than me,” he remarked after his semi-final. I want to improve, not for tomorrow, not for today but for next year. This is why I do a lot of training. »
If this was not the expected effect, the world No. 3 was nevertheless indeed imperial this Sunday. With just five points lost on his throw, Alexander Zverev lived up to his rank and will remain, for life, the last winner of the ancestral Paris-Bercy tournament.
