French prodigy Ugo Humbert has battled to a dramatic three-set victory over compatriot Benoit Paire in the final of the ASB Classic in Auckland on Saturday.
The match went down to the wire, after several swings in momentum, until the 21-year-old prevailed in a trie breaker in the deciding set - 7-6 6-3 7-6.
Having split the first two sets, Humbert looked to have one hand on the trophy, after streaking to a 3-0 lead on the back of an early break point in the final set.
But a defiant and fired-up Paire refused to lie down, unleashing a series of big shots to force a tiebreaker.
'Next gen' star Humbert held his nerve in the tiebreaker, securing the set and the title with a 7-5 win.
Earlier in the men's doubles final, local hope Marcus Daniell and partner Philipp Oswald were unable to deliver what the crowd was seeking, falling to a straight-sets loss to Ben McLachlan and Tom Bainbridge.
New Zealand-born McLachlan - the defending champion who represents Japan - and his British colleague were too clinical for Daniell and Poland's Oswald, clinching a 7-6 6-3 victory.
