Hady Habib will try to keep his historic run at the Australian Open going on Tuesday when he faces Frenchman Ugo Humbert in the second round.
On Sunday, Habib continued his improbable journey in the men's singles draw by defeating Yunchaokete Bu 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 7-6 (8-6), with Humbert doing the same in his opening match versus Matteo Gigante, claiming a 7-6 (7-5) 7-5 6-4 triumph.
Match preview
© Imago
After a tight opening set at John Cain Arena this past weekend, Humbert took control down the stretch of his first Grand Slam match this year, advancing into round two of the singles draw for a third successive campaign.
His aggressive play ultimately won the day, as he scored 71% of his net points, which made up for his 43 unforced errors against his Italian opponent.
He claimed just 28 winners in his opening encounter and gave up 16 aces but was sharp on his first serve, winning 75% of his points in that department.
The 26-year-old does not hit many aces, but his serve is strong enough to earn him plenty of points, especially on the hard court, where he has won 85% of his service games this year.
So far in 2025, he has only faced five break points in 26 service games on hard surfaces and has won 85% of his first serve points.
Humbert is an offensive player who has utilised his backhand volley to great effect, converting 63% of his break points on the hard court this year, thanks in part to that unique skillset.
© Imago
In the midst of all the bloodshed and tragedies in Lebanon, Hady Habib has managed to put his focus on tennis, becoming one of the early feel-good stories of the 2025 Australian Open.
Born in Texas to an American-Iranian mother and a Lebanese father, the 26-year-old became Lebanon's first men's singles player to win a Grand Slam fixture over the weekend.
The 219th-ranked men's player at this event had an 88% winning percentage in his first-round match, hitting 61 winners and only giving up 25.
To get to this stage of the tournament, he had to win three qualifiers, defeating Patrick Kypson, Tseng Chun-hsin and Frenchman Clement Chidekh.
In his first-round contest, we were introduced to his powerful serve as he registered 18 aces with only two double faults, averaging a speed of 184 km/hour on his first serve.
While he made 34 unforced errors, he did not concede a single winner in his previous match, often putting Bu on his heels with some powerful groundstrokes.
Tournament so Far
Ugo Humbert
First Round: vs. Matteo Gigante 7-6 (7-5) 7-5 6-4
Hady Habib
Qualifier 1: vs. Patrick Kypson 6-4 7-6 (8-6)
Qualifier 2: vs. Tseng Chun-hsin 6-4 7-6 (7-2)
Qualifier 3: vs. Clement Chidekh 6-4 3-6 7-6 (10-8)
First Round: vs. Yunchaokete 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 7-6 (8-6)
We say: Humbert to win in three sets
Humbert knows all about underdog stories, winning 13 matches in his career against top-10 opposition, and that experience should serve him well against a player like Habib with a heart-warming story that many people have got behind.
Joel Lefevre
