CHERBOURG, February 14, 2019

The quarterfinals of the €46,000 Challenger-Cherbourg-La Manche are set. While top seed Ugo Humbert remained untroubled in his match against Alexey Vatutin, the tournament’s No. 2 Yannick Maden fell to Steve Darcis in three sets on Thursday afternoon at the Complexe Sportif Chantereyne.

Darcis won one point less than the World No. 112 from Germany but prevailed in the tie-break of the final set 7-5 to secure a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(5) victory in two hours and 33 minutes. The 34-year-old Belgian, who returned to action after a one-year injury break at the beginning of this season in Pune, will next take on Lukas Rosol. The sixth favourite emerged victorious from the all-Czech-affair with Zdenek Kolar 6-3, 3-6, 6-0. The encounter lasted one hour and 18 minutes.

Later on Court Central, Ugo Humbert delighted his home crowd with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Alexey Vatutin of Russia. The World No. 88 from Metz saved all five break points he faced, converting two of his own six chances to advance in one hour and 21 minutes. Next up for Humbert will be Germany’s Oscar Otte, who knocked off Italian youngster Gianluigi Quinzi 7-6(3), 6-1 in 67 minutes.

Further information can be found on the tournament’s official website.