Ugo Humbert is back in a title match. The Frenchman held his nerve and outlasted top seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(4) in a tense, late-night semi-final at the ATP 250 Adelaide International. In a match that stretched 2 hours and 32 minutes under the lights, Humbert’s cool head in the biggest moments sent him through to his 11th ATP Tour final and a showdown with Tomas Machac.

This was a classic semi-final: swings of momentum, long rallies, and a deciding-set tie-break that kept the crowd on edge. For Humbert, ranked World No. 36, it was proof his hard-court game is sharp again. For Davidovich Fokina, World No. 15 and the tournament’s No. 1 seed, it was another narrow loss at the finish line.

Humbert holds firm in Adelaide International semi-final

Humbert set the tone early. He took the first set 6-3 with measured aggression and smart serving. Davidovich Fokina fought back in the second, breaking late to steal it 7-5 and extend the night. The decider went the distance and into a tie-break, where Humbert stayed steady to close it out 7-6(4).

The Frenchman’s resilience and shot selection stood out in pressure games. Time and again, he trusted his lefty serve and forehand patterns. That composure is what wins tight semi-finals, and he showed plenty of it.

“Humbert’s calm on break points was the match.”

By the numbers: serve, steel, and the key points

Big matches often turn on a few points. In Adelaide, Humbert owned those moments. He saved 10 of 11 break points (90.9%), a massive defensive return when his serve was under attack. He also struck five aces and won 64.4% of his first-serve points.

Davidovich Fokina’s numbers tell a different story. He won 58.1% of first-serve points, saved three of five break points (60%), and, notably, finished without an ace. Against a clean, left-handed server like Humbert, that gap on first-strike pressure mattered.

Put simply: when the scoreboard was tight, Humbert was just a little better. In a 2-hour-32-minute battle, that was the difference.

Davidovich Fokina’s narrow misses continue

This one will sting for the top seed. It was Davidovich Fokina’s first Adelaide appearance as a No. 1 seed, and he showed plenty of quality this week with a straight-sets win over home hope Rinky Hijikata and a composed 7-6(4), 6-2 victory over Valentin Vacherot in the quarter-finals. But the fine margins turned against him again.

It’s his second straight loss in a deciding-set tie-break, following the Washington final in July 2025 where he held three championship points. He has reached five ATP finals — four of them in 2025 — without lifting a title. The tools are all there, but the last step remains elusive.

“ADF needs a trophy soon — the pressure isn’t going away.”

Humbert’s Adelaide week: sharp and efficient

Humbert’s run has looked polished from the start. He breezed past Alexander Shevchenko 6-0, 6-3 in under an hour, then took out Tallon Griekspoor and Terence Atmane in straight sets. Before this marathon semi, he had dropped only one set all week and hardly looked troubled.

That form aligns with his broader hard-court pedigree. Humbert is seeking his eighth ATP title and his first in Adelaide. His last trophy came in Marseille in 2025, a reminder that when he strings good days together, he is very tough to stop.

Coming into this semi-final, the head-to-head between the two stood at 1–3. Whether that implied trend or not, Humbert didn’t blink. Now, he moves forward to face a different test — one with its own recent story arc.

Machac awaits after comeback past Paul

On the other side of the draw, Tomas Machac battled past Tommy Paul 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 to reach the third ATP final of his career. The Czech arrived in Adelaide needing a reset after a four-match losing streak dating back to October 2025. He found it here. He has been in this spot before, and he knows how to finish the job — he lifted the trophy in Acapulco in February 2025.

For Paul, who missed the final three months of 2025 with a foot injury, this week still offered positives. “I’m just happy to be back out here. It was a long end of the year for me, and to be back in Australia playing great tennis, I’m really happy,” he said. “All the tournaments in Australia, they do a good job of keeping most of the courts the same speed, and they seem to match up with my game.”

Humbert holds a 1-0 head-to-head advantage over Machac. On a medium-paced Australian hard court, both men will look to take the first strike. Humbert brings the lefty angles and baseline patience; Machac brings quick hands and counter-punching that can turn defense into offense.

“Machac vs Humbert feels like a chess match in the making.”

What this means for the final

Humbert’s biggest weapon this week has been his poise. Saving 10 of 11 break points in a semi-final speaks to a strong mind as much as a strong serve. If he brings the same control against Machac, he will be hard to move off his patterns. The first-serve percentage and depth on the backhand crosscourt will be early tells.

For Machac, the path to success runs through taking time away. If he can cut off rallies, step inside the baseline, and attack second serves, he can force Humbert into shorter exchanges. The Czech proved against Paul that he can adjust mid-match; he may need another set of answers in the final.

The bigger picture

Adelaide has become a form-check before Melbourne, and both finalists have passed that test. Humbert, on debut at this event, has looked settled and confident. Machac has turned a tough end to last season into a promising new start. Meanwhile, Davidovich Fokina leaves with good match play but another reminder of how fine the margins are at this level.

Titles are never easy to win, especially when the pressure is loud. Humbert knows that; Machac has felt it too. One will walk out with the first ATP trophy of the season — and a timely jolt of belief.

However the final plays out, one lesson from the semi-final is clear: in 2026, Ugo Humbert’s nerve is as strong as his forehand. In a week where the small moments decided the big match, he owned them. Now he gets a chance to own Sunday.