Ugo Humbert worked the late shift–or actually the early morning shift–to defeat No. 2 seed Alex de Minaur 7-6(4), 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the Atlanta Open on Friday night.
Following a rain delay of more than two hours, the Humbert-De Minaur match followed Aleksandar Vukic’s straight-set upset of Wimbledon quarterfinalist Chris Eubanks. For a while it looked like the last quarterfinal contest of the day would go even longer into the night, as the first set between Humbert and De Minaur required more than an hour. But after the left-hander from France took it seven points to four, he maintained momentum with an early break in the second.
De Minaur–a two-time Atlanta champion (2019, 2022)–had one chance to get back in the match and it came with his opponent serving at 3-1, 0-40, but Humbert snuffed out all three break points and held for 4-1. The world No. 38’s next two service holds came at love to close things out in style.
It wasn’t the latest finish in the history of the Atlanta tournament, but it was close. Kei Nishikori beat Ricardas Berankis at 1:44 in the morning in a 2012 second-round encounter.
“Sometimes I can play very good,” Humbert joked. “No, I’m very happy. It’s not easy to play against him; he beat me three times last year…. I served well tonight I think in the key moments. In one game in the second set it was 0-40 and I put in a lot of first serves. The level was so good.”
It will be Humbert vs. Vukic in the semifinals on Saturday evening, preceded by Taylor Fritz vs. J.J. Wolf.
amazing performance by Humbert
We have been offered truly magnificent matches by so many a young, not only talented but admirably hardworking player, that I find it a treat, wherever you are are watching from and no matter who you are rooting for, to witness these giants compete.