Nick Kyrgios victorious in five-set battle versus Ugo Humbert

Well, this match did not disappoint. Australian Nick Kyrgios was back on the tennis court for the first time since the Australian Open in February. On Wednesday, he concluded a five-set match in the Wimbledon men’s singles first round against 21st seed Ugo Humbert of France. The match was 3 hours and 26 minutes and occurred over the span of two days due to local curfew going into effect at 11pm Tuesday night.

Kyrgios dug himself out of a 2-1 set hole to win the match 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 9-7. The two opponents played each other back at this year’s Australian Open in the second round. Kyrgios was also victorious in that match, beating Humbert in five sets 5-7, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6, 6-4. So, it should be to the surprise of no one that this match went the distance.

There’s always a concern about what type of Kyrgios tennis fans may be getting when watching his matches. So far, we have seen him be focused and determined on court with no significant lapses in concentration. There were times Humbert got out to early leads in games late in the match. But, Kyrgios remained calm and was able to hold serve. He saved four break points in the final set, including two in the final game.

Kyrgios helped himself in this match with success on serve. He hit 23 aces with 6 double faults and won 63 percent of points on his second serve. Humbert hit 13 aces with 9 double faults and only won 44 percent of points on his second serve. The Frenchman carried a powerful but streaky forehand, recording 19 winners and 22 unforced errors on that side.

Next up for Kyrgios is a matchup against World No. 77 Gianluca Mager of Italy. Mager currently sits at a career-high in the ATP Rankings and is playing in his first Wimbledon main draw. If Kyrgios plays a similar game as he did against Humbert, he should cruise into the third round.

Stats courtesy of IBM SlamTracker