Tennis player arrives on court without his rackets

News Express |1st Jul 2022 | 478
Tennis player arrives on court without his rackets

PHOTO: Ugo Humbert returns the ball to Casper Ruud during their men's singles match at Wimbledon



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. (CNN)

Comments

Post Comment

Thursday, November 13, 2025 12:49 PM
ADVERTISEMENT

Follow us on

GOCOP Accredited Member

GOCOP Accredited member
logo

NEWS EXPRESS is Nigeria’s leading online newspaper. Published by Africa’s international award-winning journalist, Mr. Isaac Umunna, NEWS EXPRESS is Nigeria’s first truly professional online daily newspaper. It is published from Lagos, Nigeria’s economic and media hub, and has a provision for occasional special print editions. Thanks to our vast network of sources and dedicated team of professional journalists and contributors spread across Nigeria and overseas, NEWS EXPRESS has become synonymous with newsbreaks and exclusive stories from around the world.

Contact

Adetoun Close, Off College Road, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos State.
+234(0)8098020976, 07013416146, 08066020976
info@newsexpressngr.com

Find us on

Facebook
Twitter

Copyright NewsExpress Nigeria 2025