Ugo Humbert defeated Alejandro Davidovic Fokina 6-3 5-7 7-6(4) to reach the final of the Adelaide International, dashing any hopes the Spaniard had of claiming his first tile at the Adelaide International 250-level event.
It was a great match, Foki played at a great level and I am super happy to be here in the final Ugo Humbert
The Frenchman survived a thrilling final set tiebreak under the lights to advance to his 11th final, where he hopes to claim his eighth title.
“I thought I was half Australian, so thanks a lot guys,” Humbert told the crowd. “The atmosphere was so good, I enjoyed my time on the field so much. It was a great match, Foki played at a great level and I’m super happy to be here in the final.”
Humbert, making his debut in Adelaide, put in an impressive performance to dominate the opening set against the top seed, with some tight angles and aggressive play. However, Davidovic Fokina did not roll over and came back strongly in the second and kept up the pressure in the decider, but was eliminated in the tiebreak.
(Photo by Sarah Reed/Getty Images)
Previously an eighth seed, de Tomas Machac booked his place in the final with a 2-6 6-3 6-3 victory over second seed Tommy Paul.
The Czech recovered well from dropping the opening set to force a decisive third-place finish over the higher-ranked American, who made steady progress in his comeback from a left foot injury that sidelined him for around three months.
“I started really slow, but then I just tried to fight and move better, and it went great, I could hardly miss,” Machac said in his on-court interview. “I usually play great in Australia, so maybe [the turnaround in form] is because of you! I’m just going to try to play my tennis and I’ll definitely enjoy the final.”
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