March 02, (THEWILL) – Fifth seed, Ugo Humbert, clinched the Dubai Tennis Championships title on Saturday, defeating seventh seed, Alexander Bublik, 6-4, 6-3, to capture his second trophy this season.
The 25-year-old Frenchman joins an elite group of players in the professional era to have won his first six tour-level finals, matching the feats of Latvia’s Ernests Gulbis and Slovakia’s Martin Klizan.
In a tight opening set, Bublik fired a double fault in the 10th game as he gambled on a big second serve in an attempt to hold, allowing Humbert to edge ahead. The Marseille champion showcased his superb defensive skills in the second set to earn a break point chance at 3-1, which he took when Bublik found the net.
Humbert then unleashed a monster forehand to go 5-2 up before holding his nerve two games later, saving a breakpoint and closing out the contest on his second championship point with a passing winner.
By lifting the Dubai trophy, the left-hander builds on his semi-final victory over top seed and 2023 Australian Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
