ATP Tour

Lucky loser Brooksby & three-time champ Fritz set all-American final in Eastbourne

Is Jenson Brooksby dialling in for another dramatic run to an ATP Tour crown this week at the Lexus Eastbourne Open?

The 24-year-old American rallied past fourth seed Ugo Humbert 6-7(7), 6-4, 6-4 on Friday to become the first lucky loser to reach the final in tournament history. Brooksby, who won his first ATP Tour title earlier this year as a qualifier in Houston, where he saved match point in three of his matches during his run, will face top seed and defending champion Taylor Fritz in Saturday's final.

“I thought I stayed really resilient, even after a tough first set that I was leading through a good amount [but] let it slip,” said Brooksby, who levelled his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Humbert at 1-1. “I think it’s a lot less pressure when you don't expect to be in the main draw and get the opportunity… You just want to make the most of it.”

The LL DOES IT AGAIN 🥶

Jenson Brooksby is final bound in Eastbourne, battling past Humbert in three tight sets!@the_LTA | #LexusEastbourneOpen pic.twitter.com/3M9Qvdsfvt

— ATP Tour (@atptour) June 27, 2025

Brooksby began the year as the World No. 1091, but with his championship-match run in Eastbourne, the American is up 48 spots this week to No. 101 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

“It means a lot to be back on stages like this, not just skill-wise but physically,” said Brooksby, the former World No. 33. “This is my favourite thing in the world to be back on these big stages in these big matches. I’m very happy to be playing again tomorrow.”

Brooksby squandered a 5-3 lead in the first set, yet rebounded and kept fighting, eventually converting his third match point to end the topsy-turvy encounter. Humbert, who saved the first two with some gutsy baseline power, couldn’t hold off Brooksby further. The American countered Humbert’s trademark lefty serve out wide on the Ad court with a blocked backhand return to force the error and seal a two-hour and 47-minute victory.

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Record three-time champion Fritz ensured it will be a third all-American final in Eastbourne by defeating sixth seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. Fritz, who also came through three-set battles against #NextGenATP Joao Fonseca and Marcos Giron, extended his perfect streak in semi-finals at the grass-court ATP 250 to 4-0.

“It’s easy in the second set to panic a little bit when the things that were working for me aren’t really working,” said Fritz. “I had to take a step back and think it out, make some changes, and commit to doing some things differently in the third. Luckily, I was able to execute it and do those things well.”

Fritz claimed his first title of the season in Stuttgart two weeks ago and will be able to draw on his past success in Eastbourne when he competes for his fourth title and 10th overall on Saturday. The American, who is tied with Brooksby at 1-1 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, triumphed on the British coast in 2019, 2022 and 2024.