Dubai Open: Humbert digs deep to earn excellent comeback win over Hurkacz

Ugo Humbert is into the semi-finals of the Dubai Open after coming back from a set down and saving three match points en route to defeating Hubert Hurkacz 3-6, 7-6 (8), 6-3 at the Aviation Club Tennis Centre.

The Pole looked well on course for a place in the semi-finals after taking the opening set with a confident display, before navigating his way to a tiebreak in the second.

However, the in-form Humbert dug deep to force decider, saving three match points in that middle stanza, before maintaining that momentum to break early in the third and hold serve for the remainder of the match.

It is another excellent win for the Frenchman, who had beaten Gael Monfils (4-6, 6-3, 6-3) and Andy Murray (6-2, 6-4) ahead of his victory against world No 8 Hurkacz in the quarter-finals.

Humbert, ranked No 18, will face Russian Daniil Medvedev, the top seed, next.

Hurkacz, ranked No 8, edged out German Jan-Lennard Struff (7-6 (5), 6-7 (4), 7-6 (6)) and beat Australian Christopher O’Connell (7-6 (5), 6-4) in the previous rounds of the Dubai tournament.

Dubai ATP 500, other last-eight results (Aviation Club Tennis Centre, hard, USD 2.941.785, most recent results first):

• Daniil Medvedev beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (8): 6-2, 6-3
• Andrey Rublev (2) beat Sebastian Korda: 6-4, 4-3 ret.
• Alexander Bublik (7) beat Jiri Lehecka: 6-4, 4-1 ret.