Miami (AFP)
Ugo Humbert saved the honor of the French at the Masters 1000 in Miami on Saturday, reaching the third spherical fairly simply, in contrast to Benoît Paire, as soon as once more eradicated from the begin of the event, on a day that smiled on the favorites Stefanos Tsitsipas and Ashleigh Barty.
Seeded N.20, Humbert was stable to eliminate Portugal’s Joao Sousa 6-1, 6-4, one he confronted for the first time.
The thirtieth in the world bought off to a powerful begin. Very efficient in the first ball (4 aces, 92% of factors gained in the 1st set) he managed to interrupt Sousa twice in three makes an attempt to interrupt away.
The second spherical was barely extra hooked. But Humbert, who needed to erase two break factors towards him, managed to take the opposing service, at the greatest time, to steer 5-4, earlier than ending in 1:13.
Le Messin, who stays in a semi-final in Marseille two weeks in the past, will face the large Canadian server Milos Raonic (N.12) in the subsequent spherical.
Before Adrian Mannarino’s entry into rivalry towards Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic, he stays the solely Frenchman concerned in the event, since Benoît Paire was taken out by Italian Lorenzo Musetti (6-3, 6-4).
– Reversed dynamics –
To say that the latter is having a really troublesome begin to the season is an understatement. Under the windy Florida warmth, he appeared cottony, if not resigned, towards the Italian Lorenzo Musetti (6-3, 6-4), carried by a very completely different momentum, after his glorious run in Acapulco the place he was stopped in semi-final by Stefanos Tsitsipas.
These are due to this fact two gamers with reversed dynamics who had been opposed on court docket N.4, the place the French, thirty third in the world, nonetheless entered the match properly, taking the opposing dedication.
Thereupon, the Italian recovered, making the most of the first faulty ball (49% success) from Pair who might nonetheless have damaged him if he had not made direct errors at the moment. He then chained two double faults synonymous with lack of the first set.
In the second, his sport was much more unraveled, exhibiting that he did not really feel higher in his tennis, which he typically dragged.
The Frenchman, who expressed his blues and typically was at the restrict in his habits on the courts at the starting of the yr, this time confirmed irony. First by the gesture, by spreading his arms as an indication of liberating victory, after his final setback out of bounds.
– “I played really well” –
Then with the phrases to the media: “I played really well against a very good player. It’s very positive, I’m very happy with my level of play, and happy with what I produced on the court. I’m going to build on this game. I was very calm, with a very good mentality. I hung on until the end. “
This setback is his 4th in a row coming into the event, after Buenos Aires, Santiago and Acapulco. In 2021, he gained just one match, in seven tournaments.
Musetti, 19, who has simply joined the world high 100 (94th), will face Croatian Marin Cilic in the subsequent spherical.
Stefanos Tsitsipas completely held his rank of seed N.2 for his debut. He dismissed Bosnian Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 6-4, who usually provides him issues, having gained three of their earlier 4 encounters.
In the subsequent spherical, the 22-year-old Greek will face the Japanese Kei Nishikori (N.28).
In the women’ class, the Australian Ashleigh Barty, world No. 1 and title holder, superior to the spherical of 16, defeating with willpower, 6-3, 6-2, the Latvian Jelena Ostapenko.
She will go a much bigger check in the subsequent spherical, towards the Belarusian Victoria Azarenka (N.14) who beat the German Angelique Kerber (N.24) 7-5, 6-2. And she will be able to, if profitable, be delighted to see her a part of the desk emerge a bit extra with the bundle of Simona Halep, injured in the proper shoulder.
© 2021 AFP
