Ugo Humbert missed too many opportunities to afford Taylor Fritz on Wednesday in the second round of the Masters 1000 in Toronto. The Messin has at times displayed an excellent level of play and manhandled the American, 9th in the world. But he committed too many unforced errors at important points to hope to win. Fritz, winner in three sets (7-6 (7), 3-6, 6-3) will be opposed in the round of 16 to the Canadian wild-card Gabriel Diallo (141st) or the Australian Alex de Minaur (18th) .
After breaking his opponent from the start, Humbert served to win the first set. In vain. Despite a set point, the French left the decisive game to the American, who won 9 points to 7 on a forehand winner in 1h03.
3 break points converted on 11 and 37 unforced errors
Humbert hung on and made the difference at the end of the second set, managing to break Fritz on his sixth chance of the set, 4-3 in his favor, before equalizing not without difficulty (1 break point saved) .
Seeming to lack energy, the 34th in the world, who withdrew before his quarter-final in Washington for a left calf contracture last week, stupidly lost his face-off at 2-1 for Fritz. After saving three balls from 5-1, Humbert however took advantage of a completely missed service game from the 9th in the world to unbreak. But he scuttled himself in stride, giving the break to the American on two double faults, who concluded with a winning forehand volley a few minutes later.
In a meeting where the two men will have procured a total of 19 break points, Humbert only converted 3 out of 11 (3 out of 8 for Fritz) and committed 37 unforced errors. Jeremy Chardy’s protege will fly to Cincinnati, where he will be in the main draw.
