Watch: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina rushes to Ugo Humbert's aid, comforts crying Frenchman after nasty fall in Montpellier

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina took on Ugo Humbert in the first round of the 2023 Montpellier Open on Wednesday. And although the Spaniard booked a spot in the Round-of-16, it was far from the ideal finish for the competitors.

Home hope Ugo Humbert, who entered the tournament as a wildcard, took the opening set very convincingly, recording an excellent first-serve win percentage of 81%. The Frenchman gave No. 5 seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina zero break-point opportunities and closed the set out with a 6-1 score, earning two breaks on the Spaniard’s serve.

In the second set, however, the 24-year-old faced stiff competition from Davidovich Fokina, who kicked things off with an early break to lead 3-0. The 2022 Monte-Carlo Masters runner-up was unable to maintain the advantage though, failing to serve out the set at 5-3.

A determined Ugo Humbert kept up his momentum and forced a tiebreak. Unfortunately, however, the Frenchman’s effort to limit the clash to two sets went awry. He took a misstep while chasing one of Alejandro Davidovic Fokina’s big shots shots at 3-1 in the tiebreak, falling to the ground as a result.

Humbert was in visible agony after suffering the nasty fall, and for a moment was unable to get back on his feet. Noticing his opponent’s struggle, Davidovich Fokina rushed to check on Humbert and comforted him until the Frenchman received medical assistance.

Watch the video of the episode here:

Although Ugo Humbert resumed play, he was unable to find his best tennis and lost the second set 6-7(2). The Frenchman made the tough decision to retire in front of his home crowd soon after, allowing Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to progress to the next round.

The Spaniard will be pitted against another Frenchman, Quentin Halys, next.

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"It’s never easy to see a friend like this" - Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Ugo Humbert’s injury at Montpellier Open

2023 Adelaide International 2 - Day 4

Ugo Humbert had a tough 2022 season, to say the least. And this new injury in front of his home crowd, just days after re-entering the world’s top 100 in the ATP rankings, would have come as a big blow.

Speaking about his opponent’s predicament, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina said that he had to hold back tears himself after seeing his friend in agony.

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

“The match, he was fighting very good, with all the crowd,” he added. “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.”