By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Saturday, March 2, 2024
Ugo Humbert did not drop serve sweeping Alexander Bublik 6-4, 6-3 in the Dubai final, improving his career finals record to 6-0.
Photo credit: Christopher Pike/Getty
Finals are career opportunities.
Ugo Humbert transforms titles matches into closing time—and the Frenchman finished with a flourish again in Dubai today.
More: Raging Rublev Defaulted in Dubai
A sharp Humbert swept Alexander Bublik 6-4, 6-3 to capture the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships crown and remain perfect in finals.
Commanding closer Humbert raised his finals record to 6-0. Humbert is the third man in Open Era history to win his first six Tour-level finals, joining Ernests Gulbis and Martin Klizan in achieving title titan status.
Six finals up, six title trophies raised. How does Humbert bring his best tennis in finals?
"I really don't know, but it's a good statistic," Humbert said of his perfect finals record. "But because I have a really good team around me so thank you so much, merci."
It is the second title of the season for Marseille champion Humbert, who rises to a career-high ranking of No. 14 in the ATP Live Rankings. Humbert is the first Frenchman to crack the Top 15 since Gael Monfils in May of 2021.
The title run caps a career week that saw Humbert fight off three match points upsetting third-seeded Hubert Hurkacz 3-6, 7-6(8), 6-3 in the quarterfinals before toppling top-seeded Daniil Medvevev, 7-5, 6-4, in yesterday’s semifinals—his third win in four meetings over the 2021 US Open champion.
If you thought there might be a letdown after a performance he called "perfect" in dismantling Medvedev, think again.
The left-handed Frenchman served 73 percent, fired nine aces against no double faults, saved both break points he faced and won 11 of 17 second-serve points in a confident display of championship tennis.
The seventh-seeded Bublik showed his toughness fending off seven straight break points in yesterday's semifinals and reaching the final when second-seeded Andrey Rublev was disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct berating a linesman.
"This week had everything for me and I’m really happy to be standing here," said Bublik, who dropped to 4-7 in career finals. "Once again, thanks for Ugo for reminding me how it is to lose the final.
"It’s been a great pleasure, honestly, I can’t wait to come back here in 2025."
The 25-year-old Humbert raised his 2024 record to 13-3 and will embark on this month's Sunshine Double playing the best tennis of his life.
"I played a fantastic event during all the week," Humbert said. "Today was not easy. Alexander thank you for your kind words, I have too much respect for you.
"You are a really nice guy on and off the court so congrats for your great beginning to the year and I wish you best of luck for the next events."
Seventeen minutes into the final, Bublik dipped a topspin forehand pass to draw even at deuce. Driving a forehand down the line, Bublik dabbed a drop shot and blocked a volley for the first break point of the final.
Humbert soothed stress knifing a backhand volley and sliding the wide serve as he held for 3-2.
Crowding the baseline to return, Humbert earned his first break point in the following game. Bublik showed fine feel flicking a drop shot to save break point, only to double fault to face a second break point. A brave Bublik used the forehand drop shot-forehand pass combination to deny the second break point.
Bublik bolted a forehand winner down the line to level the set after six games.
Two games later, Bublik, the ATP leader in double faults, double faulted to face a break point. The Kazakh twirled a drop shot that sat up, but Humbert knocked his reply into net. Bublik held firm for 4-all.
Brief backswings on his returns helps Humbert crowd the line and take the return early. That positional pressure—combined with overly ambitious second serves—cost Bublik the set.
The 26-year-old Bublik tomahawked a forehand winner down the line to save a set point.
Lofting a lob his 6’5” opponent could not control, Humbert earned a second set point.
Haunted by the double fault demon, Bublik again went all in a big second serve but scattered his fourth double fault long to end the 48-minute opening set.
The French left-hander served 76 percent with six aces in the opening set. It was Humbert’s 10th straight set won in a final.
Humbert plays proactive tennis off the front foot and showed his scrambling skills in the fourth game of the second set.
Darting to his left, Humbert scraped out a defensive lob to extend the point then Bublik missed a volley to face break point. Pounding away at the Kazakh’s forehand wing, Humbert drew a netted slice forehand to break for a one-set, 3-1 lead.
Whipping his ninth ace out wide to seal his first love hold of the final, Humbert extended his lead to 4-1 after 67 minutes of play.
Serving for his sixth title at 5-3, Humbert showed signs of tension missing three relatively routine forehand to face his second break point of the night.
A mischievous Bublik moved forward into the court, as if signaling a Federer-esque SABR move, only to jump back at the last second. Eyes riveted on the ball Humbert lasered a backhand down the line to erase it.
A forehand into the corner brought the Frenchman championship point. Humbert scattered his fourth forehand error of the game.
Resetting, Humbert dragged Bublik wide with the can opener serve then slammed a forehand winner down the line sealing his sixth career title, including his second 500-level crown, in one hour, 25 minutes.