Ugo Humbert will compete in the quarter-final of the home Paris Masters! The top-ranked French player took down world no. 2 Carlos Alcaraz 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 in two hours and 16 minutes in front of the partisan crowd, remaining on the title course. Alcaraz suffered another early loss at the final Masters 1000 event of the season. He made a great comeback after a terrible opener but lost serve right before the deciding tie break, propelling his opponent over the finish line.
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Numbers behind Humbert's win over Alcaraz
Ugo claimed seven points more than Carlos, mainly thanks to the opening set. The Frenchman defended his second serve nicely, erasing three of four break points in the second set and providing three breaks, the pivotal at 6-5 in the decider. Humbert landed 25 winners and 31 unforced errors, spraying too many forehand errors but leaving his rival on a 23-25 ratio. Ugo landed ten service winners more and used that advantage to cover the deficit from the baseline. Alcaraz played a bit better at the net, but it was insufficient to make the difference. World no. 2 had the upper hand in the more advanced exchanges. However, he trailed badly in the shortest ones, suffering a loss in that segment.
Humbert destroys Alcaraz 6-1 in the opener in 26 minutes
The home player dominated the court in the opening set, outplaying the four-time Major winner on serve and return and making a flying start. Ugo held at love in the first game of the encounter with a service winner and stepped in on the return in the next one. Carlos netted a routine backhand, playing against a break point and losing serve after the rival's brilliant return, hitting a forced error and falling 2-0 behind. Humbert drew another mistake from world no. 2 in the third game, holding at 30 and opening a 3-0 advantage.
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Feeling the vibes from the partisan crowd, a left-hander cracked a forehand down the line winner in the fourth game. He generated three break chances and seized the third after Carlos' wayward backhand, extending the gap to 4-0. Humbert attacked with his forehand in the fifth game, delivering another hold and moving closer to a bagel against the four-time Major champion! Alcaraz added his name to the scoreboard in the sixth game, landing a service winner and reducing the deficit. Ugo served for the opener at 5-1 and dropped the opening two points. He stayed focused and landed four service winners, wrapping up the first part of the duel in 26 minutes and gathering enormous support from the home crowd.
Alcaraz reacts in set number two and forces a decider
Carlos raised his level in the second set, providing five comfortable holds and pushing on the rival's serve in the middle of the set. The Spaniard landed a forehand winner for a hold in the first game and reached a deuce on the return in the next one. The Frenchman brought it home, keeping his initial shot intact. Alcaraz clinched the third game with an ace and found the rhythm on the return for the first time in the next one. Ugo played against three break points and denied them, landing a service winner after the sixth deuce to bring the game home and lock the result at 2-2. World no. 2 held at 30 in the fifth game and made another push on the return in the next one.
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He drew the rival's mistake for a break chance and welcomed a forehand error from a left-hander for his first break of the duel and a 4-2 advantage. Alcaraz brought the seventh game home with a service winner, cementing the break and forcing Humbert to serve to stay in the set. The home favorite supplied a hold at love and wished for a last return chance at 3-5. However, Carlos landed a crafty lob winner for three set points. He converted the first with a backhand crosscourt winner, taking the set 6-3 and introducing a decider after an hour and 13 minutes.
Humbert earns a late break in the third set and celebrates a notable win
They stayed neck and neck in the final set before Ugo delivered a late break that propelled him into the quarter-final. Humbert survived three deuces in games one and five, keeping his rival away from break chances. He landed a service winner in the seventh game for a hold at love, and Alcaraz followed that pace with an ace in the next one, locking the result at 4-4. The Spaniard presented a fine hold at 4-5, extending the battle and serving to stay in the match for the second time at 5-6. The Frenchman attacked and created two match points after the rival's forehand error. Ugo converted the second after Caros' backhand error, celebrating a notable victory in front of the partisan crowd and moving into the last eight.
