Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Paris Masters match.
Ugo Humbert, the only remaining Frenchman, will be playing with the active support of the local crowd, which gives him extra motivation and confidence on the court. Meanwhile, Jordan Thompson, who knocked out another Frenchman, Adrian Mannarino, in the last round, will try to challenge one of the tournament's main contenders.
Jordan Thompson
Thompson is arguably having the best season of his career (35 wins and 23 losses). The Australian claimed his first ATP title in Los Cabos and reached the quarter-finals of an ATP 1000 series tournament. His match with Mannarino in the previous round demonstrated his resilience but also exposed his weaknesses: although he triumphed with more winners (21-9), he made over 50 unforced errors. These flaws could be decisive against the aggressive and fast-paced Humbert on Paris' quick indoor courts.
Ugo Humbert
Humbert is also at the peak of his form (37-23), becoming France's top-ranked player and reaching 18th in the ATP rankings. He is particularly dangerous indoors, where his flat shots and powerful serve put immense pressure on opponents, as seen in his matches against Brandon Nakashima and Carlos Alcaraz, where he landed 77% of his first serves and kept his composure in tense moments. Over his career, Ugo has won 15 of 19 quarter-final matches indoors, proving his strength on indoor surfaces.
Jordan Thompson vs Ugo Humbert Prediction
It is likely that Thompson will struggle to keep up with Humbert's high tempo throughout the match. Ugo dominates on fast surfaces, and this season he has consistently won his indoor matches by a margin of three or more games. We are betting on Humbert with a handicap.
