XXL performances for the French during the second round of the Australian Open tennis tournament. Arthur Cazaux, 21 years old and 122nd player in the world, beat one of his youth opponents, world number 8, Holger Rune. In the women’s draw, Clara Burel, 51st player in the world, qualified for the next round by winning against the American Jessica Pegula, world number 5. It also goes for Ugo Humbert, winner of the Chinese Zhizhen Zhang.
“It was a crazy match, a big fight”
With panache and stunning authority, Arthur Cazaux, beneficiary of an invitation to participate in the tournament, got rid of the Dane in four sets: 7-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in three hours and twenty -two minutes of play. To measure the scale of the feat, his success in five sets in the first round at the expense of the Serbian Laslo Djere (33rd player in the world) was his first in a Grand Slam. Even stronger, before the Australian Open, the Montpellier native had only obtained one victory on the main circuit and it dates back more than two and a half years (in May 2021, in Geneva, against Adrian Mannarino).
“It was a crazy match, a big fight. Holger (Rune) is an exceptional player, I have known him for a long time,” declared Arthur Cazaux at the end of the match. Entering the match with a ball in the lead, he immediately sent Holger Rune back to the ropes, and the young Dane visibly suffered knee pain, strapped and massaged several times from the third set onwards. Next opponent for Arthur Cazaux: the Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor, 31st in the ATP rankings and defeated another French hope, Arthur Fils, in four sets.
Another Frenchman shone in Melbourne this Thursday. Ugo Humbert, 20th player in the world, qualified for the third round, after his victory against the Chinese Zhizhen Zhang in four sets: 6-2, 5-7, 6-1, 7-6. His opponent, 54th in the ATP, came within two points of equalizing at two sets everywhere, but Ugo Humbert then dominated the tie-break of the fourth set to seal his victory. Messin was able to benefit from the noisy support of a strong contingent of French supporters: “It’s great when you play far from home, that there are supporters who push you from start to finish. You want to fight for them and celebrate with them.”
First victory for Clara Burel against a player in the world top 10
70 minutes. This is the time that took Clara Burel, 51st in the ATP rankings and at 22 years old, to create the feat by beating the world number 5, the American Jessica Pegula in two sets: 6-4, 6-2. Finalist in the junior tournament six years ago, the young Frenchwoman collected her first victory against a top 10 player. Clara Burel reached the third round of a major tournament for the fourth time in her career (Roland Garros in 2020 and US Open in 2022 and 2023).
A third round which will see a 100% French duel since she will find Océane Dodin, who reached this stage of the competition for the first time in her career at 27, after eliminating the Italian Martina Trevisan in two sets. A confrontation which ensures France will have at least one representative during the second week of the tournament.