Cincinnati 2020: Grigor Dimitrov vs Ugo Humbert preview, head-to-head & prediction | Western & Southern Open
Grigor Dimitrov will be looking to finally move past his early 2020 disappointments as he gets his US Open campaign underway at the Western & Southern Open on Sunday.
The Bulgarian had a torrid time at the start of the year, with early exits in both Melbourne and Rotterdam. He did show some signs of revival at the Mexican Open, but then the pandemic struck and the tour was suspended.
Here in Cincinnati, Dimitrov has been pitted against World No. 42 Ugo Humbert, who had a very different start to his 2020 season.
The 22-year-old Frenchman kick-started the year with his first ATP tour title in Auckland. He overcame compatriot Benoit Paire in a thoroughly competitive final there, and has followed that up with a few other big wins since.
Humbert is quite different from most of his fellow French peers as he doesn't have a claycourt-oriented game. Nor is he the most showy performer on the court.
Instead, Humbert has an aggressive playing style built around powerful groundstrokes and great forecourt skills. His aggression from the baseline and quick movement up the court are reminiscent of a certain Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
If Humbert is on his game on Sunday it might spell trouble for Dimitrov. The Bulgarian is yet to fully find his rhythm since recovering from the COVID-19 bout he contracted at the Adria Tour.
Grigor Dimitrov vs Ugo Humbert head-to-head
This will be the second meeting between the two players, with Grigor Dimitrov currently leading the head-to-head 1-0. Their first and only previous match took place in Paris last year, where Dimitrov staged a comeback to outlast Humbert in three sets.
Despite the vastly mismatched levels of experience between the two, this is a fairly well balanced matchup. Humbert has been around long enough to have taken note of Dimitrov's somewhat inconsistent game, and he will be looking to exploit any opportunity that comes his way.
Grigor Dimitrov vs Ugo Humbert prediction
This seems set to be a close contest, and it could very well go down to a third set tiebreaker. Whichever of the two can find a way to get past the initial jitters and take control, will have a huge advantage.
We have already seen what a few months away from tennis can do to your game, with quite a few shock losses littering Day 1. Both Humbert and Dimitrov will he hoping to reverse the trend and start on a strong note.
Prediction: Grigor Dimitrov to win in three sets.
Match details
Tournament: Western & Southern Open 2020
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $4,674,780
Match timing: 3 pm EDT | (12:30 am IST)
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN | India - Sony Ten 2