Paris Masters 2020: Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Ugo Humbert preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Ugo Humbert
Date: 3 November 2020
Tournament: Paris Masters 2020
Round: Round of 32 (Second round)
Venue: Paris, France
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Indoor hardcourt
Prize money: €3,901,015
Match timing: Not before 6.30 pm local time, 11 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - ESPN / Tennis Channel | India - Sony Six / Sony Liv
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Ugo Humbert preview
Second seed and last year's quarterfinalist Stefanos Tsitsipas is set open his 2020 Paris Masters campaign with a second-round contest against home favorite Ugo Humbert on Tuesday.
This tournament serves as an opportunity for Tsitsipas to make up for his underwhelming campaign at the recently concluded Vienna Open, where he lost his second match to Grigor Dimitrov. The Greek enters Tuesday's contest as the favorite and will be looking to get back to winning ways ahead of the ATP Finals, but Humbert will not makes things easy for him.
The Frenchman is in the midst of a breakthrough season. He has already won a couple of titles this year, along with reaching a career-high ranking of No. 32 - which he attained just last month.
One of Humbert's two titles came at the recently concluded European Open in Antwerp. The youngster showcased his characteristic gung-ho brand of tennis and took out the likes of Pablo Carreno Busta and Dan Evans, before beating Alex de Minaur in the final.
That run would have done a great deal to replenish Humbert's confidence following underwhelming campaigns at the last two Slams.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Ugo Humbert head-to-head
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Ugo Humbert have never crossed paths on tour before, so their current head-to-head stands at a 0-0 deadlock.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Ugo Humbert prediction
Despite the contrasting recent performances of the two players, the second seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas enters this contest with a distinct edge. But it does have the potential of being a close affair, given the duo's similarly aggressive approaches to the game.
Ugo Humbert would be high on confidence after his run in Antwerp and his tenacious display against Casper Ruud in the opening round. The young Frenchman will need to bring the same kind of intent to his match against Tsitsipas, who has had a few troubles on serve in his last couple of outings.
If Humbert can find a way to create inroads into his opponent's service games, he will have a few opportunities. Tsitsipas is more than capable of turning things around quickly, but Humbert will definitely be fancying his chances of causing an upset in this one.
Prediction: Ugo Humbert to win in three sets.