BREST, October 26, 2019
The semi-finals at the Open Brest Credit Agricole are set. Ugo Humbert, top seed of the ATP Challenger 100 event, advanced to the stage of the final four with a hard-fought win over fellow Frenchman Antoine Hoang on Friday afternoon at Brest Arena.
The World No. 63 struck eight aces and won 74 per cent of his first-service points to secure a 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 victory in two hours and 32 minutes.
“I am very pleased with this win. It was a match with a lot of ups and downs. I think that I was more eager to win in the end,” Humbert said afterwards. “The match wasn’t at highest level but I was mentally prepared and I am just happy to be through. Now I have to get ready for the upcoming match.”
Humbert,who also booked his spot for the 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals, will next take on No. 9 seed Norbert Gombos of Slovakia. The 29-year-old Bratislava resident defeated recent Nur-Sultan Challenger champion Illya Marchenko from the Ukraine 6-4, 6-2. The encounter lasted one hour and 21 minutes. Humbert won the only previous meeting with Gombos at the ATP Challenger in Granby, Canada last year.
#OBCA19 Un petit miracle pour Ugo ! Hâte de le retrouver pour sa demi-finale demain face à Norbert Gombos @ATPChallenger pic.twitter.com/curBobYgm5
— Open Brest Crédit Agricole (@BrestOpen) October 25, 2019
Earlier in the day, Evgeny Donskoy knocked out No. 2 seeded Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena. The tournament’s No. 8 from Russia outpointed his rival 83-70 to prevail 7-6(7), 6-4 after one hour and 47 minutes. Donskoy, who lifted his third President’s Cup trophy in Kazakhstan this season, will oppose South African young gun Lloyd Harris. The 22-year-old Cape Town native edged past Corentin Denolly of France 6-3, 7-6(2) in 69 minutes.
