Adelaide International 2
Humbert denies top seed Davidovich Fokina in Adelaide SF thriller

Frenchman faces Machac in bid for eighth ATP Tour title

January 16, 2026

Michael Errey/Getty Images

Ugo Humbert is making his debut at the Adelaide International this week.
By Jerome Coombe

Ugo Humbert kept alive his bid for a debut crown at the Adelaide International in memorable fashion on Friday night, when he edged top seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in a tense deciding-set tie-break.

The Frenchman held firm under the lights to claim a 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(4) victory and advance to his 11th ATP Tour final. In Saturday’s championship, Humbert will seek an eighth ATP Tour title when he faces Tomas Machac, whom he leads 1-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

“I thought I was half Australian, so thank you so much guys,” Humbert said to the crowd. “The atmosphere was so good, I enjoyed my time on the court so much. It was a great match, Foki played at a great level, and I’m super happy that I’m in the final here.”

For Davidovich Fokina, the loss represented another cruel near miss at the business end of a tournament. The No. 15 player in the PIF ATP Rankings suffered his second straight defeat in a deciding-set tie-break, coming after his Washington heartbreak in July, when he squandered three championship points against Alex de Minaur in the final — one of four title matches he reached in 2025 as he continues his pursuit of a maiden ATP Tour trophy.

Making his debut at the ATP 250 event in Adelaide, Humbert imposed himself for long stretches of the semi-final, carving the court open with sharp angles and relentless intent. Though Davidovich Fokina surged back to force a decider — highlighted by a scorching backhand return winner on set point in the second set — Humbert reset quickly and delivered when it mattered most, navigating the tension of the tie-break with composure.

Earlier on Friday, Machac booked his spot in the final with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over second seed Tommy Paul, continuing his resurgence in Adelaide. The Czech found an extra burst of intensity in the deciding set to reach his third ATP Tour final and first since lifting the trophy in Acapulco last February.

Both semi-finalists arrived in Adelaide seeking momentum after challenging closing stretches to the 2025 season. Paul missed the final three months of the year with a foot injury before returning in Brisbane last week, while Machac snapped a four-match losing streak — dating back to Shanghai in October — with a first-round win over Australia’s James Duckworth.

“I started very slow, but then I just tried to fight and move better, and it went great, I could barely miss,” Machac said in his on-court interview. “Normally I play great in Australia, so maybe [the turnaround in form] is because of you guys! I will just try to play my tennis and I will definitely enjoy the final.”