Pierre-Hugues Herbert is currently living a difficult period on the ATP circuit. Since his victory over abandonment in the sixteenth finals in Stuttgart on June 10, the 34 -year -old French player has been defeating the defeats: in eighth on the German lawn, then from the outset to Nottingham, in Wimbledon, in Gstaad, and this Monday in Umag. The 140th worldwide entered the shine on the Croatian clay, facing a better classified player, Carlos Taberner (111st) and he lost in two sets after a battle of 1h54: 6-4, 7-6.
Faced with this 27 -year -old Spaniard he faced for the first time, the Alsatian went badly in his match, losing his service from the first game, on Taberner’s first break ball. Herbert then saved two Break balls at 4-2 and a set at 5-3 set and did not have the slightest opportunity to break up, faced with an opponent who will have lost only six points on his put into play in the first set, won 6-4.
Herbert misses his tie-break
In the second, the two players perfectly resulted in play up to 4-4. It was then that the Spaniard managed a new break and therefore served for the match. But at the foot of the wall, “PhHH” rocked on its first (and last) occasion of the match, to return to 5-5. He then saved two break balls at 5-5 and pushed Taberner to play a decisive game. But there was no suspense in the tie-break: the Spaniard quickly led 3-0 then 6-1, and won on his first match ball.
It is therefore he who will face Francisco Cerundolo, seeded n ° 1 of the Croatian tournament, the next round. Pierre-Hugues Herbert will try to regain confidence, and victory, by returning to the Challenger circuit, where he will be the head of N ° 1 in Porto (on hard) next week.
