■The first set started with two consecutive service aces from Ugo Humbert. With his serve in good condition, he was able to play with rhythm, and his forehand and backhand shots were easy winners. The first set was dominated by Humbert. However, in the second set, Tomas Machac with strong defensive skills responded with returns, and when he could no longer easily make points with his serve, Humbert lost his rhythm.

■Humbert made some changes to his serve from this tournament. On the advantage side, he would stand on the far end of the singles court line and hit slices. This was a “sure to win” format, as he would use his left-handed serve that would go far to the side, driving his opponent off the court and winning points. This serve had been so powerful until, in the second set, his opponent made a down-the-line return which landed at the farthest point from his serving position, and he allowed his first break of the match in the fourth game. He also made more mistakes with his strokes, and Machac won the second set.

■The bad flow continued in the beginning of the third set. But it suddenly changed in the fifth game at 2-2, so the outcome cannot be predicted. Humbert easily kept the serve, hitting two service aces, and then his powerful strokes returned and he broke two games in a row and won the match. "My performance had its ups and downs. In the third set, I tried to hit every point 100%, and then my performance improved," said Humbert, looking back on the rough match.

■He has made it to the finals six times so far on the tour and won all of them. When asked at a press conference why he is so strong in the finals, he said, "Because the final is the last match, I get motivated, and maybe that's why I'm able to win the title. I want to do my best to win tomorrow as well." The 26-year-old revealed his enthusiasm for his seventh time win with a shy smile.