We would have liked to rediscover the glorious spirit of the Davis Cup but we could not have done it better. It must be said that when a Frenchman and an Italian compete, the Masters 1000 in Monte-Carlo is the ideal place. Close to the Italian border, it sees its stands regularly filled with fans who spare no effort as soon as one of their compatriots is on the court.
As the sun set over the Rock, it was in this very warm atmosphere that Ugo Humbert (15th) entered the Princes court to face Lorenzo Sonego (57th). Small problem for him, there were many more Italian supporters than French in the stands and the match quickly turned into an away Davis Cup match. The kind of atmosphere that overwhelms Sonego.
Lucky loser after Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal, Sonego played his luck perfectly by correcting Félix Auger-Aliassime in the second round (6-4, 7-5). Pushed by the public who exulted at each mistake from Humbert, Sonego entered the match like a hurricane. Humbert stood up to him. With a physique designed to be effective on clay, he was able to develop clear and effective game patterns.
We sometimes talk about champagne tennis, there it was flowing on both sides of the net. For a long time, the raisers had no openings. And if it was indeed Humbert who offered himself the first break point, it was Sonego who took the opponent’s service to take the lead at the best moment (6-5). He didn’t shake when serving for the set.
It remained to be seen whether Humbert would be able to react to a Sonego who had set his pace in the meeting. If he regularly performs well against the big names, we also know that the Frenchman sometimes fades against players he must (on paper, obviously) beat. A fear justified by the six break points he had to save in two service games. But, with his back to the wall, the Frenchman found the energy to put in a little more. And it was him who finally made the break to return to a set everywhere. Suddenly, the Italian fans were less vocal.
Humbert finishes strong
You had to believe that Ugo Humbert had done the most important thing. In the process, he broke Sonego at the start of the third set. He was going to get three break points again on the Italian’s next serve, but the latter was on fire on the important points. Never mind, the double break was for Sonego’s next service game (4-1). The Italian had taken a blow from which he would not recover. Unable to regain his level at the start of the match, he suffered from the overly effective tennis of Humbert who advanced to the quarter-finals where Casper Ruud, who defeated Hubert Hurkacz, was waiting for him.
