Son withdraws, Humbert joins Zverev in the last 16 of the Australian Open

The 100% French clash didn't come to an end. The two leading French players of the tournament were battling it out for a place in the second week of the Australian Open.

Ugo Humbert and Arthur Fils are playing against each other for the fifth time on the circuit. So far, the Messinian has won three of the four.

However, it was Fils, victorious in their last confrontation in the Tokyo final at the end of last season, who got off to the best possible start.

The 20-year-old won the first set. In a match where break points sometimes followed break points, the older of the two players finally got the upper hand and won the next two sets, although they were closely contested.

Reduced by a foot injury, Arthur Fils finally threw in the towel at the start of the fourth set, sending Humbert into the last 16 for the first time in his career.

He will face the world number 2, Alexander Zverev, who dominated Jacob Fearnley in three sets.

The two men will be meeting for the fourth time, just a few months after the German won the final of the Paris-Bercy Masters 1000.