Humbert upsets Paire to clinch ATP Auckland Open title

Speed Post News Network

Patna : World No 57 Ugo Humbert, 21, France, edged past compatriot and World No 24 Benoit Paire, 30, in a three-set thriller in the final on January 18, 2020, to lift the ATP Auckland Open title at Auckland, New Zealand, his first ATP tour title, and bag 250 rankings points.

Humbert upset 5th seed Benoit Paire in a three-set slugfest 7-6, 3-6, 7-6 in 2hr 34 minutes in the final to clinch the singles title. Paire though hammered 16 Aces in the match to 4 by Humbert. Paire also won 4 break points to 3 by Humbert. Paire committed 3 double faults to 5 by Humbert, who won both the tiebreaks. Paire won 77 service points to 66 by Humbert. Both the players won 3 games each in a row in the match.

Humbert had defeated World No 20 and 4th seed John Isner, USA, in the semi-finals, and World No 13 and 2nd seed Denis Shapovalov, 20, Canada, in quarter-finals. Top seed and World No 12 Fabio Fognini, 32, Italy, had lost in 2nd round to World No 61 Feliciano Lopez, 38, Spain.