Paris (AFP)

Ugo Humbert (34th) will challenge world No.6 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round of the Masters 1000 in Paris after his victory in the decisive game of the third set (4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/1) at the expense from Novégien Casper Ruud (27th) on Monday.

This is the very first victory in the Parisian room of the 22-year-old Lorrain, who won the title eight days ago in Antwerp, his second trophy of the season after Auckland in January.

In 2018 as in 2019, Humbert lost in the first round, against Adrian Mannarino, then against the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov.

Solid and convincing throughout the game (42 winning shots against 37 unforced errors), Humbert dropped the first set by letting his service escape at the worst moment, at 5-4, on Ruud's first break points.

But he did not concede any more in the following two sets, and was intractable in the decisive tie-break.

Humbert is the second French to reach the second round on Monday after Corentin Moutet.

Hugo Gaston (161st) takes on the Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta (15th) in the evening, and Benjamin Bonzi (180th) is opposed to the Argentinian Federico Coria (93rd).

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