ATP Hamburg: Ugo Humbert downs Daniil Medvedev. Fabio Fognini, Bautista Agut advance

Skipping Rome after a deep US Open run, Daniil Medvedev will travel to Paris with only one match on clay. Hamburg's top seed suffered a 6-4, 6-3 loss against the young Frenchman Ugo Humbert, who toppled the Russian in an hour and 22 minutes for his first top-10 victory. Serving at 73%, Ugo defended two out of three break chances, earning three breaks from five opportunities to control the scoreboard and make a winning start. Firing 15 winners and unforced errors, Humbert overpowered the better-ranked opponent, scoring his career-best victory and looking good to cause more damage in the draw this week ahead of the home Major. The returners claimed three points in the first six games, as they stayed locked at 3-3 after less than 20 minutes! Ugo netted an easy forehand int he seventh game to suffer a break, pulling it back in the next one when Daniil's backhand landed long. A left-hander produced bold hitting at deuce in game nine for a hold, closing the opening set with a break at 15 in game ten for a 6-4.

Medvedev saved two break points in the fourth game of the second set and wasted two break opportunities in the next one when Ugo fired two service winners to remain on the positive side of the scoreboard. The decisive moment came in game eight when Medvedev sprayed a forehand error to suffer a break at 15, allowing Humbert to seal the deal with an ace a few minutes later for the place in the second round. The 6th seed and a former champion Fabio Fognini ousted Philipp Kohlschreiber 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 in two hours and 19 minutes, beating the German for the first time since 2016. Fognini got broken three times, dominating the return with 19 break chances, converting five to cross the finish line first.

Daniil Medvedev suffered an early loss in Hamburg.

Philipp claimed the opening set with a break in game seven, losing ground in set number two and giving his best to stay in touch in the decider. From 5-3 down, the German bounced back to 5-5, only to lose the next two games and propel Fabio through. The 4th seed and a new dad Roberto Bautista Agut ousted a two-time champion Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-4, 6-2 in an hour and 25 minutes, scoring the 15th victory of the season. Roberto gave serve away twice, erasing the deficit with a rock-solid performance on the return that saw him stealing Nikoloz's serve four times and move over the top in straight sets. The Rome quarter-finalist Dominik Koepfer prevailed against Yoshihito Nishioka 7-6, 4-6, 6-1, restoring the order in the final set to grab a home event victory.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3mO5nCe