Ugo Humbert halted Jack Draper’s progress at the Eastbourne tournament, defeating the British player in their semi-final match. This outcome concluded Draper’s notable return to the court following a lengthy absence due to a knee injury sustained at the Barcelona Open in April.
Draper, aged 24, had secured three straight-set victories before this 100-minute contest, which ended 7-5 6-3 in favor of the 30th-ranked Frenchman. Despite the loss, Draper’s performance provided valuable preparation for the upcoming Wimbledon tournament, where he is scheduled to face Taylor Fritz. Draper has been working alongside a team that includes Sir Andy Murray to regain his previous form.
Humbert, who celebrated his 28th birthday with this win, acknowledged the difficulty of the match and praised Draper’s performance. The Frenchman is set to play Zizou Bergs in the final, after Bergs defeated Toby Samuel in a comeback victory. Samuel, who entered as a lucky loser, had held a lead during the match but was unable to hold off his opponent.
In the women’s draw, Madison Keys and Tatjana Maria advanced to the final following the mid-match retirements of their respective opponents, Petra Marcinko and Jelena Ostapenko. Both athletes will contest the title on Saturday.
