Toronto 2021: Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Ugo Humbert preview, head-to-head & prediction | National Bank Open
Match details
Fixture: [3] Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Ugo Humbert
Tournament: 2021 National Bank Open
Round: Second round (Round of 32)
Venue: Aviva Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $2,850,975
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Ugo Humbert preview
Third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas will begin his 2021 National Bank Open campaign with a second-round encounter against France's Ugo Humbert.
Tsitsipas, by virtue of his seeding, received a bye in the first round. Humbert, on the other hand, ousted Lorenzo Sonego in his first-round match on Monday, winning 6-3, 6-4 in an hour and 39 minutes.
Interestingly, this is the second time Tsitsipas and Humbert will be squaring off in three weeks. The two had locked horns at the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics, where Humbert won 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-2.
The Frenchman was not at his best against Sonego on Monday, committing six double faults and facing the same number of break points. But Humbert's first serve was on the money, as he racked up a whopping 87% success rate on that shot.
The 23-year-old, who is making his debut at the Canada Masters this year, was also dominant in the return games. He won 41% of the points played on Sonego's serve.
Tsitsipas, meanwhile, has witnessed a dip in form since making the final at Roland Garros. The Greek was ousted early in Wimbledon and Hamburg, and he also failed to live up to the expectations at the Olympic Games - where he was widely touted as a medal contender.
That said, Tsitsipas has had good results on hardcourts this year. He reached the semifinals of the Australian Open back in February, after staging a phenomenal comeback from two sets down against Rafael Nadal.
Tsitsipas also made the semifinals at Rotterdam and finished as the runner-up in Acapulco.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Ugo Humbert head-to-head
Ugo Humbert leads Stefanos Tsitsipas by a margin of 2-0 in the head-to-head. The two first locked horns at the Paris Masters in 2020, with the Frenchman winning 7-6(4), 6-7(6), 7-6(3).
Their most recent encounter was at the Tokyo Olympics, which also went Humbert's way. Interestingly, four of the six sets that Humbert and Tsitsipas have played have gone to tiebreaks, despite the fact that they have both faced numerous break points (all combined 33).
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Ugo Humbert prediction
Ugo Humbert's first serve has given Stefanos Tsitsipas a lot of trouble in the past. And given Humbert's performance with that shot against Lorenzo Sonego on Monday, we can expect the trend to continue in the second round too.
Tsitsipas' form is a big concern right now, and he would be hoping to do something special to get his season back on track - especially with the US Open looming ahead. However, countering Humbert's lefty serve and powerful forehand in the best-of-three format is far from an easy task.
Tsitsipas undoubtedly has the skill and the firepower to beat anyone in the world. But it remains to be seen if he can overcome his peculiar struggles - both game-wise and mentality-wise - against Humbert in the Toronto second round.
Prediction: Ugo Humbert to win in three sets.