🎾 What a night at the Paris Masters! Local hero Ugo Humbert had the crowd on the edge of their seats as he battled to a thrilling victory over the USA's Brandon Nakashima, clinching the match 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. Humbert, seeded No. 15, had to dig deep, especially in the decisive third set where he saved two break points, keeping his undefeated streak against Nakashima intact at 3-0.
However, it was a tough day on the court for the players from the Chinese mainland. Zhang Zhizhen and Shang Juncheng both faced early exits after intense first-round matches.
Zhang Zhizhen faced off against Argentina's Tomas Martin Etcheverry for the second time. Despite a strong start, breaking and holding serve to lead 2-0, Zhang couldn't maintain the momentum. Etcheverry responded with sharp counterattacks, turning the tables to take the first set 6-3. The second set was a nail-biter! Both players held serve, pushing it to a tiebreak. Zhang fought hard, even saving two match points, but ultimately fell short, closing the match 6-3, 7-6(6). This marks Zhang's sixth consecutive singles loss. Ouch! 😓
Shang Juncheng's match against the USA's Marcos Giron was equally dramatic. In their first-ever meeting, and both entering as qualifiers, neither player could break serve in the first set, leading to an intense tiebreak. Shang surged ahead 5-2 but couldn't capitalize, with Giron seizing the moment to take the set 7-6(6). The second set saw both players exchange breaks and head into another tiebreak. Shang displayed incredible resilience, rallying back to tie at 6-6 after trailing 0-3. But in a heartbreaker, errors at the crucial moments handed the match to Giron, finishing at 7-6(6), 7-6(6). Tough luck, but what a fight! 💪
The Paris Masters never fails to deliver high-octane tennis, and while the local fans cheered for Humbert's success, the players from the Chinese mainland showed determination and grit. Tennis fans, stay tuned! This tournament is just heating up! 🔥
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
