Humbert upsets Alcaraz at Paris Masters

PARIS: Ugo Humbert finally got a win against Carlos Alcaraz in their third meeting against each other in the round of 16 at the Paris Masters. A hard fought 3-set battle ended with the Frenchmen advancing to the quarter-finals.  

“I fought until the last point. I have to congratulate Ugo. I think his performance has been really high. The way he hits the ball is unbelievable. It’s amazing,” Alcaraz said at the post game press conference, adding shortly after that “He plays a really high level of tennis. I think in Paris even more so. So congratulations to him, and good luck.”

The 3 set battle between the world number two and the 18^th ranked Frenchmen was a thrilling affair, with Humbert taking the first set in dominant fashion after winning five games in a row before Alcaraz got his first. The Spaniard seemed to be just a step behind in the first set. A quick return by Humbert in the Spaniards first service game led to a staggered Alcaraz launching the ball out of bounds.

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Another break would come soon after, as Alcaraz failed to keep a rally going with the Frenchmen while he was on break point, sending the ball into the net. On Humbert’s service games, Alcaraz was struggling to deal with the Frenchmen’s serves, a conundrum exemplified by the seventh and final game of the set. After losing the first two points, he would win the next four straight, as Alcaraz wasn’t able to return any of the Frenchmen’s serves in bounds.

The World number 2 would have more success in the second set. The two would win their respective games until Alcaraz got his first break of the match in the sixth game. This time it would be Humbert launching the ball into the net. Alcaraz would capitalise, winning his next two service games to win the set 6 to 3.

The final set would be hard fought, with neither player giving up an inch. Humbert would get the only break of the set in the final game of the match. After taking a 40 to 30 lead following a couple of incredible returns that left the Spaniard frozen, Alcaraz would put the final nail in his own coffin, launching a ball beyond the base line to end the match.

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Ugo Humbert advanced to the quarter finals in the Paris Masters and will face Jordan Thompson on November 1.