Daniil Medvedev, a former champion at the Rotterdam Open, faced an unexpected exit in the first round of the ABN AMRO Open, succumbing to a determined performance by Ugo Humbert. The Frenchman showcased his skills, overcoming the fourth seed with a scoreline of 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-3.
Humbert, reflecting on his victory, stated, “This one is really great. My first win here, against Daniil… It’s a big victory and I’m super happy. I lost the second set, but I knew I was playing well. It was a great match from the beginning to the end. The last set was really solid.” He highlighted the importance of resilience against Medvedev, saying, “I know that, against Daniil you have to play a lot of rallies. I was ready to fight for each point, and I did it.” Humbert’s ability to save all six break points he faced in the deciding set was crucial to his success.
With this victory, Humbert sets his sights on securing his eighth Tour title, aiming for a fifth win on indoor hard courts, and will next face either Dutch wild card Guy Den Ouden or Marton Fucsovics.
Meanwhile, Alex de Minaur returned to Rotterdam with positive momentum, having reached two consecutive finals in previous editions of the tournament. The world No. 8 had a challenging opening match against the promising 20-year-old French player, Arthur Fils. De Minaur triumphed 7-6(3), 6-2, after a competitive encounter. “It was never going to be easy. I told myself I was ready for a battle, up for the challenge, and excited for it,” he said, emphasizing his mindset towards the match. Fils, still recovering from a lengthy eight-month hiatus due to a back injury, demonstrated competitiveness but ultimately fell short.
De Minaur’s next challenge will likely come against either Alexander Vukic or Stan Wawrinka, a fan favorite who is currently on his farewell tour after announcing plans to retire at the season’s end.
In other first-round matches, seventh seed Tallon Griekspoor captured the attention of the local crowd with a solid performance against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, winning 6-4, 6-4, which marked his 11th victory in the tournament. Griekspoor will look to advance further when he meets Quentin Halys, who overcame Dutch qualifier Mees Rottgering 3-6, 6-1, 6-1.
Jan-Lennard Struff made quick work of qualifier Hugo Grenier, defeating him 6-0, 6-4 in just 64 minutes. Struff is set to face either Hubert Hurkacz or third seed Alexander Bublik in the second round.
Other first-round results include Cameron Norrie’s tight match against Roberto Bautista Agut, which he won 7-6(3), 6-1, setting him up for a meeting with qualifier Christopher O’Connell. O’Connell narrowly beat Valentin Royer after saving a match point, finishing the match 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(4). Home player Botic van de Zandschulp also progressed, defeating Luka Pavlovic 7-6(5), 6-3, and will next play against either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Arthur Rinderknech. Additionally, Spain’s Jaume Munar secured a swift victory over Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, winning 6-1, 6-3 in under 75 minutes.
As the tournament progresses, fans can anticipate more thrilling matches and potential upsets in the competitive field.
