Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Paris Masters match.
The clash between Ugo Humbert and Carlos Alcaraz is set to be one of the most anticipated in the current round. The Spaniard, seeded second in the tournament and a top favourite for the title, faces the Frenchman, who, despite his lower ranking, will look to pull off an upset with the support of the home crowd.
Ugo Humbert
Humbert is an attacking player, relying on his powerful shots from both sides, complemented by minimal spin, which is well-suited to faster courts. In his last two matches in Paris, his first serve accuracy reached 64%, with Humbert winning 81% of points on his first delivery. On a fast surface, his flat strokes and high serve efficiency could be significant advantages. This season, Humbert has shown his capability against top-10 opponents, securing five wins in 13 matches, underscoring his readiness for a serious contest against Alcaraz.
Carlos Alcaraz
Alcaraz is enjoying the best season of his career, highlighted by victories at Wimbledon, Roland Garros, silver medals at the Paris Olympics, and wins in Beijing and Indian Wells. His strengths include powerful shots and the ability to dictate the play, but he often encounters challenges indoors. Over his career, Alcaraz has won just 24 out of 34 matches on indoor hard courts and showed some vulnerabilities in his first-round match against Nicolas Jarry, allowing his opponent to create breakpoints in 4 out of 10 return games. However, the head-to-head statistics favour the Spaniard, with two wins (2:0 and 3:1) against the Frenchman.
Ugo Humbert vs Carlos Alcaraz Prediction
With the backing of the home crowd, Humbert has a chance to provide a stern challenge to Alcaraz, especially if he continues to serve consistently. Nonetheless, considering their head-to-head record and the decent form of the Spaniard, we can expect a competitive match, leading us to select the total over.
