(Reuters) – Top seed Daniil Medvedev suffered a stunning 6-4 6-3 defeat by Frenchman Ugo Humbert in his first claycourt match of the 2020 season at the Hamburg European Open on Tuesday.
Fresh off his run to the U.S. Open semi-finals, world number five Medvedev struggled to find his feet on clay as he was broken three times by Humbert in a lacklustre performance.
Humbert, an aggressive baseliner, stole the show in front of a limited-capacity crowd at Rothenbaum stadium in the opening set when he outlasted Medvedev in a 32-shot rally, finishing with an emphatic forehand.
The result leaves Medvedev’s match record on clay at a dismal 10-17.
The 24-year-old Russian will now focus on a quick turnaround at the French Open, where he has failed to progress beyond the first round in his three previous appearances.
One week after becoming a father for the first time, Roberto Bautista Agut celebrated a convincing 6-4 6-3 victory over two-time defending champion Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia.
After the match, Bautista Agut was greeted with a message of support from former world number two and fellow Spaniard Alex Corretja.
Corretja joked that parenting duties may take a toll on Bautista Agut, who would now be tired from sleepless nights rather than his on-court heroics.
“It was very tiring last week,” said Bautista Agut. “Alex knows well. I think he has three or four kids.
“I am very proud of my family and very happy to have a new baby in our lives and it was a really nice experience to live with my wife.”
(Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis)
