Droguet stuns Kovacevic to secure quarterfinal spot in Montpellier

Titouan Droguet produced the biggest upset of the Open Occitanie on Thursday, ousting the No. 8 seed Aleksandar Kovacevic in a grueling three-set battle. The 24-year-old Frenchman, currently ranked No. 150 in the world, showed remarkable resilience at the Sud de France Arena to secure a 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 victory and reach his first ATP Tour quarterfinal on home soil.

Entering the match as a qualifier, Droguet faced a significant challenge against the 27-year-old American, who sits at No. 83 in the ATP rankings and reached the final of this event in 2025.

Kovacevic appeared to be in control after taking the opening set, but Droguet refused to buckle, clinching a high-pressure second-set tiebreak before breaking late in the decider to seal the win after over two hours of play.

The French hopeful has enjoyed a clinical run in Montpellier this week. He began his campaign with dominant qualifying wins over Robin Bertrand 6-1, 6-2 and Ugo Blanchet 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2.

In the opening round of the main draw, he dispatched Jan Choinski 6-2, 7-6 (2). Kovacevic, meanwhile, had reached this stage following a hard-fought win against 16-year-old French sensation Moïse Kouamé 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-2.

Droguet will now face either the No. 4 seed Tallon Griekspoor or former world No. 10 Pablo Carreño Busta for a place in the semifinals. Reflecting on his victory, Droguet stated: “It is an incredible feeling to win like this in front of my home crowd. I stayed focused on every point and believed I could turn it around after the first set.”