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Match details
Fixture: (1) Roberto Bautista Agut vs (6) Ugo Humbert
Date: 26 February 2021
Tournament: Open Sud de France 2021
Round: Quarterfinal
Venue: Sud de France Arena, Montpellier
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Indoor hardcourt
Prize money: €262,170
Match timing: Not before 7 pm local time, 11.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - ESPN / Tennis Channel
Roberto Bautista Agut vs Ugo Humbert preview
Roberto Bautista Agut will be looking to get his 2021 into high gear after an underwhelming start Down Under, where he could manage just one win in four matches.
Seeded No. 1 at the Open Sud de France, Bautista Agut was solid in his first match. The Spaniard scored a straight-sets win over Gregoire Barrere, and has been rewarded with a last-eight clash against another Frenchman in the form of Ugo Humbert.
Humbert, on his part, has scored a couple of hard-fought wins in the opening rounds at Montpellier. His last match against Dutch qualifier Tallon Griekspoor was particularly competitive, with the youngster needing three tiebreaker sets to come out on top.
Humbert has already played a few tight matches this season. In fact, all of his matches so far in 2021 have featured at least one tiebreaker set.
The win over Griekspoor is particularly significant as it comes in close proximity to a tough loss against Nick Kyrgios at the Australian Open, where Humbert was unable to close out the match despite having match points.
Roberto Bautista Agut vs Ugo Humbert head-to-head
This will be the first career meeting between Roberto Bautista Agut and Ugo Humbert, so their current head-to-head stands at a 0-0 deadlock.
Roberto Bautista Agut vs Ugo Humbert prediction
Roberto Bautista Agut enters this contest as the higher seed as well as the more experienced of the two players, but Ugo Humbert can certainly offer some stiff resistance.
Bautista Agut is not the most explosive of players, but he has made hige improvements on his serve and forehand over the years. That, coupled with his physical prowess and immense foot speed, have helped him find plenty of success outside clay.
The 32-year-old does face a difficult task ahead of him though, as Humbert has been producing some good first-strike tennis in his recent matches. Humbert would have felt relieved to have come through that very tight last match, which might just help him play with a little more freedom.
The Frenchman has a big game, which stands to benefit from the indoor conditions in Montpellier. And in a close match, a little extra confidence might just make all the difference.
Prediction: Ugo Humbert to win in three sets.
