Skip to main content

Ugo Humbert arrives on court without his rackets but goes on to produce biggest Wimbledon shock so far

Share

Shoes, hat, bag. Ugo Humbert arrived on Wimbledon's No.2 court with most of the essentials needed for his second-round match against Casper Ruud -- except for his rackets.

After a 90-minute rain delay, Humbert set off to face his Norwegian opponent only to halt the match even further when he had to tell the umpire he didn't have anything to hit the balls with.

"I do not have any rackets. I am sorry," an apologetic Humbert said to the umpire before the ball toss.

Humbert and Ruud had to wait just a few minutes before someone rushed onto the court with three rackets, leading to cheers and applause from the Wimbledon crowd, and a sheepish smile from the Frenchman.

Maybe it was because of his embarrassment or the unideal preparation, but Humbert lost the first set before roaring back to upset Ruud -- this year's French Open runner-up -- in four sets.

Humbert broke Ruud's serve six times and hit 53 winners as he advanced to the third round.

The 3-6 6-2 7-5 6-4 victory for Humbert provides one of the biggest shocks of the men's draw so far, with Ruud, the third seed, the highest-ranked player to be knocked out.

Humbert, ranked 112th in the world, has had prior success on grass. The 24-year-old was ranked inside the world's top 25 last year after victory at the Halle Open in Germany in 2021.

After the win against Ruud, which took two hours and 36 minutes, Humbert said that the surface suits his style of play.

"I love to play on grass. I have played a lot of good matches," Humbert said. "It is a big victory. He played very well the last few years, so I am very happy."

Humbert will play Belgium's David Goffin in the third round.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails

A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.

What does it mean to be 'house poor' and how can you avoid it?

The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.

Local Spotlight

Stay Connected