Corentin Moutet made an impressive return to competitive tennis at the Grand Prix Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes in Lyon, overcoming fellow Frenchman Ugo Humbert in a dramatic three-set battle despite struggling with cramps and a recovering wrist.
The world No. 94, playing his first match since retiring from the US Open due to a wrist injury, secured a 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-6(4) victory over the two-time Marseille champion in the ATP 250 tournament.
Moutet started strongly, taking the opening set 6-2, but Humbert fought back to claim the second set in a tie-break and force a decider. The match became increasingly demanding for Moutet, who experienced cramps and required a medical timeout for his wrist.
Despite the physical difficulties, the French wildcard refused to give up. Humbert took an early 2-0 lead in the deciding-set tie-break, putting Moutet under pressure, but the latter responded by winning seven of the final nine points to seal the victory.
After the match, Moutet explained how much he had missed competing and why he was determined to give everything on his return.
"I tried to give everything I had. I missed the competition so much that I didn’t want to give 99 per cent. I wanted to give 200 per cent," he said.
The victory provided a significant boost for Moutet as he looks to regain his form following his injury layoff.
Elsewhere, Benjamin Bonzi also advanced after defeating Cameron Norrie 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. The win improved Bonzi's head-to-head record against the British player to 2-1, giving him some satisfaction after losing their five-set encounter at the Australian Open earlier this year.
Bonzi, the 2024 Metz champion, will next face fourth seed Tommy Paul as he looks to continue his run in Lyon.
Qualifiers also made their mark, with Borna Gojo defeating eighth seed Arthur Fery 6-3, 7-6(2) to secure his place in the next round.
Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert also progressed after overcoming Sebastian Baez, earning a challenging next-round meeting with second seed Taylor Fritz.
Fritz, meanwhile, is aiming to strengthen his chances of qualifying for the ATP Finals in Turin. He entered the tournament ranked 13th in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin, leaving him with ground to make up in the race for a place at the season-ending championships.
With Moutet's comeback victory and several other competitive matches, the Lyon tournament has already delivered an eventful start, with the remaining contenders looking to build momentum in the early rounds.
