(Madrid) Ugo Humbert (46and), drafted, lost in the first round of the Masters 1000 in Madrid against Canadian Denis Shapovalov (16and) 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 in just under two hours Monday night.
Posted at 5:59 p.m.
Beaten in the second round of qualifying the day before, Humbert had been drafted for the main draw after a last-minute withdrawal.
The Frenchman offered great resistance to Shapovalov throughout the first set, during which neither player got a break point, but the Canadian made the difference in a one-way tiebreak ( 7-1).
Then he broke quickly in the second set and Humbert, on the contrary, failed to convert any of his nine break chances, including those he got in the last game.
The Habs have only won one Masters 1000 this season (in Miami against Slovenian Aljaz Bedene).
Of the four Frenchmen on the starting line, only Gaël Monfils has made it past the first lap so far.
Before Humbert, Benoît Paire (62and), who had obtained – in qualifying however – his first two victories on the main circuit since the Australian Open, folded against Diego Schwartzman (15and) in three sets 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1, his tenth defeat in a row in the first round of a tournament – apart from a match won at the Phoenix tournament.
Lucas Pouille, 174and world and beneficiary of an invitation, is opposed to the Russian Karen Khachanov (26and) at the very end of the program.
In the second round, Shapovalov will face Andy Murray, titanium hip since 2019 and current 78and global.