"I'm gonna cry": Alejandro Davidovich Fokina races to Ugo Humbert's side after Frenchman's hard fall in Montpellier

But the 24-year-old’s hopes came crashing down—literally—when Humbert took a terrible spill after attempting to track down the backhand volley made by No. 5 seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, a man known for his fair share of tumbles.

Trailing 1-3 in the second-set tiebreaker, an outstretched Humbert tried to play a forehand when he lost his footing and flew backwards. He slammed into the ground, and the combined forces of Humbert's sprinting speed and initial force of the crash caused his head to hit the court.

Davidovich Fokina immediately raced over to check on his opponent, offering a comforting hand and keeping the Frenchman occupied with words of encouragement as Humbert clutched his upper right leg.

“I’m gonna cry, because I was watching him cry,” Davidovich Fokina said on court afterwards. “I’ve known him since we were kids. It’s never easy to see a friend like this.”

Advertising

Foki did everything he could to help put his tour buddy at ease.

It took three minutes for the world No. 85 to stand on his feet with assistance of the on-site medical team. He was evaluated and resumed a little after nine minutes since the incident occurred. Humbert won the initial point, though it was clear his movement and ability to push off his right leg was significantly impacted.

The Spaniard closed out the set by sweeping the next three points, and after briefly sitting, Humbert decided it was best not to proceed further. The two shared a warm embrace, before the home favorite walked off in tears.

“The match, he was fighting very good, with all the crowd,” said Davidovich Fokina. “He was very high and I was doing my best. I wanted to play the third set, but it’s never easy to play injured.

“I hope that he will recover and play the next week.”

Davidovich Fokina officially advanced, 1-6, 7-6 (2), to line up a second-round meeting with another local hopeful, Quentin Halys.

Advertising