Latest news with #UgoHumbert
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Nasty fall helps Fearnley set up Norrie meeting
Jacob Fearnley moved into an all-British meeting with Cameron Norrie in the French Open third round after his opponent Ugo Humbert retired following a nasty who replaced Norrie as the British number two earlier this year, was leading 6-3 4-4 when French 22nd seed Humbert tumbled as he stretched for a return at 40-40 in the eighth game and instantly clutched his right receiving treatment and wearing heavy strapping, Humbert gamely tried to continue and finished the game before deciding it would not be sensible to carry a result, 23-year-old Fearnley - who is 55th in the world after a rapid rise over the past 12 months - moved into the last 32 on his French Open booked his place earlier on Thursday with a 7-6 (9-7) 6-2 6-1 win over Argentine qualifier Federico 29-year-old has slipped to 81st in the rankings, but has rediscovered his form on the clay and earned one of the most satisfying wins of his career when he beat former world number one Daniil Medvedev at Roland Garros earlier this week.
The Independent
3 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Ugo Humbert retires injured as Jacob Fearnley sets up Cameron Norrie clash at French Open
Jacob Fearnley is through to the third round of the French Open after opponent Ugo Humbert retired injured. Humbert went over his right ankle as he ran sideways behind the baseline and fell to the clay in pain. The French 22nd seed immediately held his right calf and told the chair umpire that he required treatment on his calf and his ankle. With Fearnley up by a set but Humbert leading by a break in the second, the Frenchman went off court for a medical timeout. He returned and tried to play, but Fearnley broke back to level the second set at 4-4. After Fearnley fired an ace, Humbert limped to the net to shake hands. Fearnley is making his first appearance at the French Open and will play Cameron Norrie in an all-British third round contest. The Scot defeated former French Open champion Stan Wawrinka in the opening round and was leading Humbert 6-4 4-4 when his opponent retired.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Is Fearnley tip of Murray-inspired tennis growth iceberg?
French Open 2025Dates: 25 May-8 June Venue: Roland Garros, ParisCoverage: Live radio commentaries across 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, plus live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website and app On the red dirt of Roland Garros, a young man making his debut at the French Open could shortly make a big noise amid the quiet revolution in Scottish tennis. Edinburgh's Jacob Fearnley is one victory away from breaking into the world's top 50. Currently 52nd in the live projected rankings, he faces home favourite Ugo Humbert in Paris on Thursday. If he wins, he will not just reach the third round in back-to-back majors, having had a terrific start to the year in Australia. He will also take a huge step into the rarefied air of the sport's elite, breathed by only one male Scottish-born player before him. Questions have been asked about an Andy Murray legacy. Fearnley is helping deliver some answers. 'The more you do it, the less foreign it feels' Murray first cracked the top 50 in February 2006 and stayed there for 12 years, winning three Grand Slams, two Olympic golds, and a Davis Cup along the part in the 'Big Four' with Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic was marked on the Philippe Chatrier court this week when the band got back together to honour the Spaniard's extraordinary achievements in that hallowed arena. It is nearly a decade since Murray became world number one. In the years since, doubts persisted about what Scottish tennis was doing to make hay while Dunblane's finest was in the has taken time, patience, and money. Finally, however, serious progress is being made and Fearnley is its embodiment.A year ago, he was not even in the top 500. He started 2024 ranked 646th. It's one of the fastest rises since the current system came into place. He has also made a dent on some big-name players: Nick Kyrgios on his home court in Melbourne; former French Open champion Stan Wawrinka in Paris; taking a set off Djokovic on Centre Court at Wimbledon last year. It is clear Fearnley now feels totally at home on the big stage."I really enjoyed it," he said of the straight sets win over Wawrinka in the first round. "I think part of the battle was just not letting his name and his calibre of tennis get into my head. Just focus on myself really."I think the more I get exposed to playing these players, in these environments, the better I get handling them. The more you expose yourself to situations, the less foreign it feels."Fearnley is no stranger to it now. The 23-year-old is timing his run to the top in a period of great promise for the British childhood friend, Jack Draper, has catapulted himself into the world top five and is now a serious contender for every tournament he enters. Fellow Scot Cameron Norrie arrested a worrying dip in form - the South Africa-born 29-year-old dropping from a career-high eight in the world to 81 - with a season-changing victory over Daniil Medvedev to join Fearnley in the second round. Meanwhile, Katie Boulter and Emma Raducanu are both in or around the women's top 40 and will be big threats to anyone on the grass in the coming all looked up to Murray and were inspired by his achievements and work ethic. None more so than Fearnley, who came through the tennis academy at Merchiston Castle school before honing his skills on the American college circuit. 'Period of unprecedented growth' Scotland now has another serious player on the world stage. What about the "bricks and mortar" Murray legacy, though? Where is that?It has been a slow burn, but even that is finally showing some promising signs. Hamstrung by an overly-ambitious promise in 2016 to double the number of indoor courts in Scotland from 112 to 225 within a decade, Tennis Scotland and its various partners have been unable to come anywhere close to delivering.A global pandemic, sky-rocketing costs and the shrinking of local authority spending on non-essential services hardly helped. Now, though, new courts are either open, opening or about to be built. Thirty-four covered courts have been added in the past nine years. Five more will be in use by October, taking the total to Scotland chairman Graham Watson was markedly upbeat in the organisation's latest annual six-court Oriam Indoor Tennis Centre was opened at the end of 2023 and a four-court complex has been completed at Moray Sports Centre, with a further centre opening in Dumfries & Galloway in the coming is a painfully slow trickle, but now that facilities are being built, will they be used? Are more people in Scotland playing tennis, on the back of Murray and doubles-specialist brother Jamie's many successes? Yes, according to Blane Dodds, the Tennis Scotland chief executive. He points to what he calls "a period of unprecedented growth" in the game north of the border, with a "record high club membership of 81,428"."Participation levels increased by almost 11% in 2024, which means that not only are more people playing tennis but they are playing it more regularly," he said. "We are seeing growth among adults and children, especially amongst women and girls, where there was a 27% increase in participation."With Fearnley and Norrie flying the Scottish flag at the top end of the game, and the likes of Maia and Ewen Lumsden, Hamish Stewart and Aidan McHugh all trying to follow in their footsteps, there is substance now to back up claims of is still plenty of work to be done, of course. Available, affordable access to indoor courts across Scotland is essential given the climate. Their cost, however, has to be justified with councils up an down the country scrambling to balance the of over-promising, it is no surprise that Tennis Scotland and the Lawn Tennis Association have under-delivered. They were far too ambitious in the first place. They would have to build 74 new courts by the end of next year to meet their 2016 pledge. They will not. It is simply not they do have to show for the money is a core group of young British players at or near the top of the game. That is allied to the emergence – finally – of new places for people in Scotland to play if they want to be the next Fearnley. He is doing his bit - and then some. Up 470 places in the world rankings in the past 12 months and still may well never be another Andy Murray. His legacy, however, is slowly but surely beginning to take shape.
The Star
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Tennis-Humbert star struck as PSG's Dembele cheers him on at Roland Garros
FILE PHOTO: Mar 9, 2025; Indian Wells, CA, USA; Ugo Humbert (FRA) hits a shot against Holger Rune (not pictured) during his third round match in the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Well Tennis Garden. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images/File Photo (Reuters) - Ugo Humbert was stunned to see Paris St-Germain's Ousmane Dembele in the stands for his win over Christopher O'Connell in the first round at Roland Garros on Monday and said the French forward had brought him good luck. After wrapping up the Ligue 1 title in April without losing a game and winning the French Cup last weekend, PSG will bid for their first Champions League crown on Saturday against Inter Milan in Munich. Frenchman Humbert, 26, said he was touched to learn that Dembele had named him as one of his favourite players along with world number one Jannik Sinner. "He's my favourite football player, and I love his personality," Humbert told reporters after his 7-5 6-3 7-6(3) win on Court 14. "He's playing an incredible season. "I didn't realize at first that he was there. And I heard shouts: 'Ousmane, bring us the Champions League.' And I realized he was there. "He stayed for the whole match and I got to meet him and he gave me a jersey, it is in my locker," the 22nd seed added. "I was really happy to meet him and seeing him here, I'm sure that it's giving me good luck. For the (Champions League) final I will be in front of the TV with the jersey." Humbert plays Briton Jacob Fearnley in the next round. French 14th seed Arthur Fils said he would travel to Munich if he loses in the second round to Jaume Munar, and that he would request not to be given a late match on Saturday if he made it through. "If unfortunately, I am no longer in the tournament on Saturday, I will be in Munich. If I am still in the tournament, I will go see Amelie Mauresmo (tournament director)," he said. (Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
CNA
6 days ago
- Sport
- CNA
Humbert star struck as PSG's Dembele cheers him on at Roland Garros
Ugo Humbert was stunned to see Paris St-Germain's Ousmane Dembele in the stands for his win over Christopher O'Connell in the first round at Roland Garros on Monday and said the French forward had brought him good luck. After wrapping up the Ligue 1 title in April without losing a game and winning the French Cup last weekend, PSG will bid for their first Champions League crown on Saturday against Inter Milan in Munich. Frenchman Humbert, 26, said he was touched to learn that Dembele had named him as one of his favourite players along with world number one Jannik Sinner. "He's my favourite football player, and I love his personality," Humbert told reporters after his 7-5 6-3 7-6(3) win on Court 14. "He's playing an incredible season. "I didn't realize at first that he was there. And I heard shouts: 'Ousmane, bring us the Champions League.' And I realized he was there. "He stayed for the whole match and I got to meet him and he gave me a jersey, it is in my locker," the 22nd seed added. "I was really happy to meet him and seeing him here, I'm sure that it's giving me good luck. For the (Champions League) final I will be in front of the TV with the jersey." Humbert plays Briton Jacob Fearnley in the next round. French 14th seed Arthur Fils said he would travel to Munich if he loses in the second round to Jaume Munar, and that he would request not to be given a late match on Saturday if he made it through. "If unfortunately, I am no longer in the tournament on Saturday, I will be in Munich. If I am still in the tournament, I will go see Amelie Mauresmo (tournament director)," he said.
