Humbert upsets Alcaraz to reach Paris Masters QF

Paris: Ugo Humbert staged a stunning third-round upset of Carlos Alcaraz. The home favourite prevailed 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 in a richly entertaining encounter to book a quarterfinal spot at his home ATP Masters 1000. Humbert’s two-hour, 17-minute win was the joint-biggest of his career by PIF ATP Ranking, equalling his victory against then-No. 2 Daniil Medvedev at the 2022 ATP Cup. “I’m just super proud of myself that I did it. It was a crazy match, a crazy atmosphere. Maybe my last in Bercy (before the tournament moves to a new venue from next year), so I tried to do everything tonight. It was a really big match,” said Humbert. Humbert won the first five games of the match in a blistering start on Court Central, before his resolve was tested as Alcaraz grew into the occasion. Yet the Spaniard could not deny Humbert at the tail end of a tense deciding set, when the home favourite rediscovered his shotmaking touch in time to clinch his win, ATP Tour reports. The Frenchman finished the match having outhit Alcaraz by 25 winners to 23. He converted three of six break points he earned, according to ATP Stats, en route to his fourth Masters 1000 quarter-final. It was Humbert’s first victory against the Spaniard in three ATP Head2Head meetings between the two. Humbert’s opponent in the quarter-finals will be Jordan Thompson. The Australian earlier downed Adrian Mannarino 7-5, 7-6(5) to reach the last eight at a Masters 1000 for the first time. –IANS