France’s top two tennis players Ugo Humbert and Arthur Fils will go head-to-head on Friday for a place in the last-16 at the season’s first Grand Slam tournament at the Australian Open in Melbourne.
Humbert, seeded 14th, overcame Hady Habib from Lebanon 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 on Wednesday evening to set up the third round meeting with Fils who had earlier beaten compatriot Quentin Halys in four sets in a rain-affected match.
It will be their fifth meeting on the senior ATP tour in 18 months. Humbert, 26, won their first encounter in the opening round at the Cincinnati Open in August 2023.
And he claimed the next two ties in 2024 on the grass at ‘s-Hertogenbosch in June and at the Canadian Open in August.
But in the final at the Tokyo Open in September, Fils saved a match point on his way to securing the crown.
On Sunday, 26-year-old Habib made history when he beat Bu Yunchaokete from China to become the first player from Lebanon to reach the second round at one of the four Grand Slam tournaments.
The world number 219 overcame his 67th ranked opponent 7-6, 6-4, 7-6 to spark joyous scenes in the stands of Court 13 at Melbourne Park.
Four days later, the mood among his fan club was more subdued. Humbert, participating in his seventh Australian Open, took Habib’s opening service game to lead 2-0 and held his own throughout the rest of the set to claim the opener.
Read more on RFI English
Read also:
Humbert sees off Khachanov to reach final with Zverev at Paris Masters
Humbert targets more Paris Masters glory after Alcaraz scalp
Zverev outclasses local hero Humbert to claim Paris Masters
