World No. 35 Ugo Humbert and Team France have seized on their late addition to ATP Cup by stunning World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev to draw level with Team Russia on Day 2 of the 16-country competition in Sydney.
The doubles rubber will now decide the outcome of the tie, in which Russia appeared firmly in control earlier in the day after Roman Safiullin produced a come-from-behind win in the No. 2 singles. Russia’s singles players Medvedev and Safiullin will take on France’s fresh doubles specialists Fabrice Martin and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.
Humbert was rewarded for his high-risk/high-reward strategy as he unleashed a cavalcade of ferocious left-handed forehands that eventually won the day 6-7(5), 7-5 7-6(2) against Medvedev’s deep-court defense.
“It was a very tough match. I am very happy,” Humbert said. “I had some opportunities in the first set and I just tried to stay relaxed and focussed on what I had to do. It was a great match.”
Humbert crushed 44 winners to Medvedev’s 28 during the match, unsettling the Russian, who also made an uncharacteristic 44 unforced errors, including seven double faults. Humbert was also effective at net, winning 23 of 32 approaches during the two-hour, 55-minute encounter.
Humbert also won his only other meeting with Medvedev, on clay in Hamburg in 2020.
Earlier, unheralded Russian Roman Safiullin seized his opportunity to play a starring role at ATP Cup, rallying from a set down to give Medvedev the opportunity to close out the tie.
The 24-year-old World No. 167 Safiullin, who got his opportunity to play following the withdrawals of Andrey Rublev and Aslan Karatsev, raised his game to topple Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 in the No. 2 singles.
Safiullin came up clutch in pressure moments, saving 15 of 19 break points he faced in the two-hour, 26-minute contest.
“It feels great to win the first match, to get the point for the team and now we wait for Daniil to go out and show his tennis,” Safiullin said. “The second set was really tight and I tried to make as many balls as I could and put pressure on him.
“Before the match Daniil said to go out and play with no pressure, just to play my best and fight for every point.”
ATP Cup format sees the No. 2 singles played first, with the No. 1 singles following. Doubles, with no-ad scoring and a match tie-break in place of a third set, is the final rubber of the tie.
Source Tennis – ATP World Tour
