From completely out of nowhere, Fabio Fognini is turning the clock back at the Moselle Open.
The 36-year-old is struggling down at No. 147 in the world and had won only six matches on the main tour this entire season heading into Metz. He has already racked up half of that total this week alone. Fognini suddenly finds himself in an ATP semifinal following victories over Thiago Seyboth Wild, Alexander Bublik, and Lorenzo Sonego. The Italian won four tiebreakers in the first two rounds before turning in an incredible performance to destroy Sonego 6-1, 6-2 on Thursday.
Up next for Fognini on Friday evening is Humbert, who won their only previous encounter 7-5, 7-6(4) at the 2020 Rome Masters.
It is Humbert who has home-court advantage this time around in France, making him an even bigger favorite than his red-hot form would suggest. The world No. 23 has been reaching quarterfinals and semifinals left and right at the ATP level dating back to the start of the hard-court summer, including a recent quarterfinal showing at the Shanghai Masters and a semifinal run in Basel. It feels like Humbert is due for his first title of the year and he is two victories away after defeating Dominic Thiem and Harold Mayot.
Although it is clear that Fognini’s talent is such that he remains dangerous on any given day, flashes of brilliance like what was on display against Sonego are few and far between. Humbert is the much more consistent player should win convincingly over Fognini on an indoor hard court in France.
Pick: Humbert in 2
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Great week for Fog, but Humbert in 3