Isner’s power serve humbled by Humbert

Frenchman Ugo Humbert is through to his first ATP final after defeating John Isner 7-6 6-4 at the ASB Classic in Auckland last night.

Humbert became the first player this week to tame Isner’s monster serve.

The 21-year-old was able to win a point off the American’s serve in the first set tiebreak and then break him early in the second set.

After that, he had to keep serving well himself, to deny the two-time Classic champion any chance of getting the break back.

A 5-4 Humbert served out the match without dropping a point in that game, with Isner putting a forehand into the net on the final point.

Incredibly, Humbert won all 38 points on his first serve, a stat that showed his serve can be just as effective as Isner’s.

‘‘I stayed very calm,’’ Humbert told ‘‘I had some key words and at made me feel very calm, positive and when I served for the match I was very focused.’’

And what were those words? ‘‘Energy, accuracy and move,’’ he said.

Isner felt the scoreline didn’t really reflect the match as Humbert played better than him and the young Frenchman deserved the win.

‘‘It really wasn’t as close as the score indicated to be honest,’’ Isner said. ‘‘But he was much better than I was, played with better energy. I couldn’t get anything going apart from holding serve a few times.’’

Last year Humbert recorded victories over Borna Coric, Cameron Norrie, Gael Monfils, Felix Auger-Aliassime and David Goffin. However, he had lacked consistency to compete at this level over a whole week, only winning titles at the lower Challenger level tournaments.

But it’s looking like his Challenger days are over and he’s set to become a force in the game in 2020.

In today’s final, Humbert will lock horns with either compatriot Benoit Paire or Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz.

Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Marcus Daniell is back in the doubles final of the ASB Classic, 10 years after he last appeared in it.

Daniell and his Austrian partner Philipp Oswald defeated American Austin Krajicek and Croatia’s Franko Skugor 6-2 7-6 in their semifinal.

It is the first time Daniell has made it into the final in Auckland since he won this title with Horia Tecau as a 20-year-old in 2010.

This is the first final he’s made since teaming up with the 33-yearold Austrian and they complement each other well on a doubles court.

Oswald’s big serve and forehand goes well with Daniell’s great net play and allround game.

In today’s final they play Briton Luke Bambridge and Ben McLachlan, who hails from Queenstown but plays for Japan.

Bambridge and McLaughlin defeated the Belgian duo of Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen 7-6 7-6 to advance to the decider.

‘‘It was all our way for the first set,’’ Daniell said after booking his finals ticket. ‘‘We played unbelievably for the first, we served and returned really well and I didn’t feel we gave them much of a look in.

‘‘In the second set, at the set change over we said ‘OK, let’s get ourselves ready for a fight’ because they’re quality doubles players and we knew they were going to come back at us and they did.’’

Daniell’s victory after being given a wildcard to play doubles with Tecau in 2010 was the breakthrough victory for him as a player and put him on the tennis map.

‘‘It’s amazing that it was 10 years ago, it doesn’t feel like it was 10 years, it feels like it flashed past,’’ Daniell said. ‘‘I’m one and zero in finals here, so I’ve got a good record going into it! We’re playing quality opponents. Ben is the defending champ, so he obviously feels good out here as well.’’