PARIS (AP) — Frenchman Ugo Humbert harnessed the energy of the home crowd and produced one of his best career performances in beating Carlos Alcaraz 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 to reach the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters on Thursday. A flurry of forehand and backhand winners had Alcaraz 5-0 down in a first set so one-sided that Alcaraz — a four-time Grand Slam winner — ironically waved his racket and grinned to the crowd after holding in the sixth game. “There were some incredible points, I think I have just experienced one of my greatest moments on a tennis court," Humbert said.
"I don't want it to end here." The second-seeded Alcaraz controlled the second set but, after missing chances during the third set, served to stay in the match. The crowd jeered a replayed point but Alcaraz was unperturbed and held comfortably for 5-5.
Sensing a big upset, Humbert got the Bercy Arena crowd going in the next game. The 26-year-old left-hander looked like he was about to do a lap of honor after a brilliant forehand pass down the line at full stretch and earned ovations following a superb angled volley and a booming winner that flew past his Spanish opponent. A rattled-looking Alcaraz trailed 0-30 in the 12th game.
Umpire Richard Haigh intervened several times to calm down the crowd, urging them not to cheer when Alcaraz made a fault on serve and then said in English “Guys, you're affecting both players.” Serving again to stay in the match at 15-40, Alcaraz saved one match point but re.