Top seeds Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Tommy Paul are on track to meet in the finals of the Adelaide International, but they face significant challenges in their semifinals against Ugo Humbert and Tomas Machac, respectively.
In their semifinal clash, Davidovich Fokina will be up against Humbert for the sixth time in their careers. The Spaniard currently holds a 3-2 advantage in their head-to-head meetings, with a 3-1 record on the main tour. However, it’s important to note that two of Davidovich Fokina’s wins have come through Humbert’s retirement. The only completed hard-court encounters have favored Humbert, who has won both matches in straight sets, including their most recent meeting at the 2024 Marseille tournament.
Humbert has shown impressive form throughout the tournament, having won his previous matches without dropping a set against Terence Atmane, Tallon Griekspoor, and Alexander Shevchenko. Davidovich Fokina, on the other hand, reached the semifinals after a first-round bye and straight-set victories over Rinky Hijikata and Valentin Vacherot. Given Humbert’s current momentum and prior success on hard courts against Davidovich Fokina, there is potential for an upset.
In the other semifinal, Paul is eager to regain his form after missing the entire fall season in 2025 due to injuries. Currently ranked 21st, he faced a tough start to the year with a loss to Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard at the Brisbane International but bounced back decisively in Adelaide with straight-set victories over Reilly Opelka and Aleksandar Vukic.
Paul’s opponent, Tomas Machac, is known for his unpredictable play, making it hard to forecast his performance on any given day. However, the 35th-ranked Czech player has demonstrated a strong game this week, defeating James Duckworth, Quentin Halys, and Jaume Munar all in straight sets. This match has the potential to swing in either direction, but Paul’s consistency could provide him an edge.
As both matches approach, fans can look forward to potentially thrilling encounters, with the possibility of Davidovich Fokina and Paul moving closer to a showdown in the finals.