Grigor Dimitrov and Ugo Humbert will compete for the championship at the ATP 250 tournament in Marseille. The second-seeded Dimitrov faced off against the third-seeded Karen Khachanov and emerged victorious after a grueling battle that lasted two hours and 57 minutes. The two rivals remained evenly matched in the final set, but it was the Bulgarian who ultimately triumphed in a tie break, securing his spot in the ATP final for the 19th time.
Dimitrov showcased his skills on the court, delivering 19 powerful serves and displaying exceptional play both behind his first and second serve. He successfully defended against four out of six break points and capitalized on three breaks out of eight opportunities. On the other hand, Khachanov started off strong, breaking Dimitrov’s serve in the first game of the match.
The Russian player continued to perform well, holding his serve comfortably in the second game and establishing a solid lead. However, Khachanov faltered in the fourth game, missing several game points and facing a break point after an error at the net. Dimitrov failed to capitalize on this opportunity, making a weak backhand shot and ultimately handing the game to his opponent with another loose backhand.
In the fifth game, Dimitrov showcased his skills with a spectacular backhand shot down the line, holding his serve flawlessly and narrowing the gap. Khachanov continued to serve well, firing a service winner in the eighth game and holding his serve comfortably to take a 5-3 lead. Dimitrov faced two set points while serving in the ninth game but managed to save them with two powerful aces down the T line.
Buoyed by his successful defense, Dimitrov gained confidence and created three break points in the tenth game. He capitalized on the second opportunity, taking advantage of an unforced backhand error from Khachanov and equalizing the score at 5-5. Khachanov managed to hold his serve after a deuce in the 12th game, forcing a tie break to determine the outcome of the set.
The Russian took a 5-3 lead after the Bulgarian’s mistake and created three set points when Grigor sent a volley wide. Karen seized the first with a winning serve, wrapping up the first set in 65 minutes and gaining momentum.
Dimitrov hit a backhand winner down the sideline at the start of the second set and secured a break after Khachanov’s backhand error. Grigor hit another backhand winner down the sideline in the second game, holding his serve easily and solidifying his lead.
Both players served well in the next game, and the Bulgarian seemed poised to take a 4-2 lead. However, the 2nd seed wasted game points and made a forehand error, allowing his opponent to break back and level the score at 3-3.
Instead of capitalizing on that, Khachanov made a forehand error in the seventh game, getting broken for the second time and falling behind.
Dimitrov saved a break point in the eighth game with a winning smash and held his serve for a 5-3 lead. The Bulgarian served for the set in the tenth game and hit a winning serve, winning the set 6-4 and forcing a decisive third set after almost two hours.
Karen saved a break point at the start of the final set with a winning smash at the net, avoiding an early setback. They settled into a good rhythm behind their serves for the rest of the set, with Dimitrov leveling the score at 3-3 with a comfortable hold in the sixth game.
Khachanov hit a winning serve in the ninth game, taking a 5-4 lead and forcing Dimitrov to serve to stay in the match. Grigor hit a winning serve to hold for a crucial game and hit another one at 5-6, leading to a tiebreak.
Khachanov passed Dimitrov at the net in the sixth point, taking a 4-2 lead. Grigor fought back and won four consecutive points for a 6-4 advantage, earning two match points. The Russian saved the first but made a forehand error on the second, sending the Bulgarian into the final.
The local favorite Ugo Humbert celebrated his tenth victory against a top-10 player, defeating Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 6-4 in an hour and 22 minutes and joining Dimitrov in the final. Hurkacz was dominant with his first serve, but struggled with his second.
The defending champion wasted all three break opportunities and failed to save any of the two break points, ending his run in the semi-final.
One of the best servers in the world faced issues right from the first game, with Humbert creating two break chances with a winner at the net. Hubert hit a double fault on the first, falling behind and trailing throughout the set. The left-hander won the eighth game with a winning serve and served for the set at 5-4. Humbert faced a break point but saved it with a powerful serve.
The Frenchman hit another powerful serve, winning the first set 6-4 after 37 minutes. They remained evenly matched early in the second set before Ugo attacked in the fifth game and earned a break chance with a crosscourt winner. The Pole made a mistake on a routine forehand volley, losing his serve and moving closer to defeat. Ugo faced a tough test in the eighth game, giving his opponent two break points. The local favorite saved them and held with a clever volley winner for a 5-3 lead. Hurkacz extended the match with a hold in the ninth game, but Humbert sealed the deal with a forehand winner at 5-4, advancing to the title clash in front of the enthusiastic crowd.
According to the Source tennisworldusa.org