ATP Tournament in Rennes, Final, Sunday, 18/09/2022
It may only be a relatively minor Challenger that we turn to this Sunday on the ATP Tour, and yet it is one that is invaluable for one of the two finalists.
A former Grand Slam winner, undoubtedly a world class man, has reached his first final after a long injury lay-off! At Bwin, he goes into this match as a narrow underdog. So in my Thiem Humbert tip, I’ll tell you why I’d rather bet on a Humbert win!
He actually did it! Dominic Thiem is in the final at the Challenger in Rennes, a feeling he hasn’t been able to experience for far too long. The Austrian can collect the reward for his hard work on Sunday.
For months, he had to watch how he slipped further and further in the world rankings until he came close to 300. And that, although he was once in the top 3 and won the US Open.
He progressed in very small steps, even defeats showed him what had already improved in his game. Now, in Rennes, he managed the perfect mix of fighting success, good luck and great shots.
He started with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 against Gilles Simon in France, so he definitely had to fight a tough battle. He did better a little later against Ryan Peniston, winning 6-3, 6-4.
There were three sets again in the quarter-finals when he faced Adrian Andreev. 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, it was another comeback to watch. But the Viennese had saved his strongest performance for the round of the best four.
Hugo Gaston, seeded number 1 in Rennes, really had no chance! Thiem snatched a 6-2, 7-5 and is now a fully deserved finalist. After the tournament, whatever the outcome, he will probably find himself back in the top 200.
It will be the first time ever that he will face Ugo Humbert. The Frenchman is the great hope for the fans in Rennes, who would love to see a winner in the blue-white-red colours.
He had started his competition with a commanding 6-3, 6-4 against Karl Friedberg, and he also had no problems against Antonine Bellier at 6-4, 6-1. Gijs Brouwer of the Netherlands was the next to despair of him.
6-1, 7-6, only in the second set did Humbert allow a few small weaknesses. From the German point of view, one would have liked to see Dominic Thiem and Peter Gojowczyk face each other in the final, but unfortunately that did not happen.
Humbert was too big for Gojowczyk and won 6-3, 6-4. The bottom line is that Humbert did not completely outplay any of his opponents, but rarely lost a set and is now in the final without losing a set.
After losing three Challenger semi-finals in the last few weeks, he can finally cheer again. Will his own fans carry him to victory in Rennes in the end?
My Thiem Humbert Tip
It should be very emotional for Dominic Thiem on Sunday. For a long time he has wished for a final and could only imagine it, now he has finally made it. That he beat the strong Hugo Gaston was not to be expected by everyone.
As I could see in my analysis, Ugo Humbert is also far ahead of him in terms of ranking. Moreover, the Frenchman did not drop a single set in Rennes.
My tip is therefore: Ugo Humbert wins the match!
