France's Ugo Humbert pulled off a surprise 6-3, 7-6(4) win over world No. 7 Andrey Rublev to claim his maiden ATP 500 title on the Halle grasscourts on Sunday.

Humbert stepped up his Wimbledon preparations by producing a clinical display, winning 85 per cent of his first-serve points and hitting nine aces to extend his perfect record in ATP tour finals to 3-0.

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After a fairly even start to the match, Humbert took control with his blistering forehands to break his fourth-seeded Russian opponent for a 5-3 lead.

Humbert, ranked 31st in the world, went on to save two break points to close out the set before both players struggled to gain an upper hand in the second set.

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Both players entered the second-set tie-break without facing a single break point but it was Humbert who took his opportunities at the net to secure victory in just under one-and-a-half hours.

Despite the defeat, Rublev will rise up to third in the Race to Turin for a place in the ATP Finals in November. The 23-year-old is only behind world No.1 Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

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