Newport (USA) (AFP)
France's Ugo Humbert, ranked 48th in the world after his round of 16 at Wimbledon, will face American John Isner in the ATP semi-finals on the Newport lawn, crowned three times on Saturday, after defeating Belarussian Ilya Ivashka 7- 5, 3-6, 6-2.
Humbert, 20, battled hard to get the best of Ivashka in the first set before going on empty, allowing his opponent to equalize in one set. But by removing the last four games of the game, he concluded the game after 2:26, reaching his second straight square after Marseille in February.
Saturday against Isner, 15th world at 34, Humbert must expect to suffer, the American giant (2.08 m) is a great expert aces. Friday, ahead of Australian Matthew Ebden, beaten 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, he managed a whopping 24 in a remake of the 2017 final won by the American.
Isner, who also won in 2011 and 2012, was sidelined for three months following fatigue stress on his left foot in his defeat in the Miami final against Switzerland's Roger Federer in March.
The other semifinal will feature Spain's Marcel Granollers and Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik.
© 2019 AFP