Griekspoor on Humbert: “He’s an incredible player”

This Wednesday, Ugo Humbert experienced a major disappointment in Dubai. The 26-year-old Frenchman, who was the defending champion of the Emirati tournament, was eliminated in this year's round of 16 after facing a formidable Tallon Griekspoor, who gained momentum throughout the match to turn the situation around (4-6, 6-3, 6-2).

After his victory, the Dutch player reflected on his win for the tournament media and didn’t hesitate to praise his opponent.

“He’s an incredible player, and he hits the ball so hard… When he shows up and plays his game, there isn’t much you can do.

I found that he played incredibly in the first set. Somehow, I managed to break his rhythm a bit in the second set, and I served better at the end of the match, so I'm happy I pulled through.

The last time we faced each other (in Montpellier in 2021), the match was really tight and was decided by a few points.

We played three tie-breaks, I served for the match, and I had several match points. That defeat was painful for me back then.

I’m happy to have been able to get my revenge several years later,” assured Griekspoor, who had saved three match points in the previous round against Roman Safiullin.

In the quarterfinals, he will face another Russian player, Daniil Medvedev, for a spot in the semifinals in Dubai.