Hubert Hurkacz Opens Grass Season with Doubles Victory and Faces Fucsovics in Singles

Hubert Hurkacz marked his return to grass-court tennis with a dramatic doubles victory at the Libema Open in Den Bosch, surviving two match points before advancing to the quarterfinals alongside Canadian partner Gabriel Diallo. The Polish player now enters his singles campaign against Hungarian opponent Marton Fucsovics, a rival who holds a 2-0 record against him in tour competition.

Doubles Breakthrough Under Pressure

Hurkacz and Diallo faced considerable adversity in their opening match against the third-seeded Indian-New Zealand pairing of Yuki Bhambri and Michael Venus. The first set slipped away 3-6, with Bhambri and Venus executing a break in the fourth game to control the remainder of the frame. Hurkacz and Diallo responded decisively in the second set, breaking serve in the fourth game and defending their advantage to claim the set 6-4.

The decisive third-set super tie-break produced the tournament's most compelling moments. Bhambri and Venus obtained the first match-point opportunities, but failed to convert either chance. Hurkacz's return of serve on the third match point proved decisive, forcing an error from Venus and securing the 14-12 win for the Polish-Canadian combination. The victory represents a significant upset, eliminating a specialized doubles team to reach the quarterfinal stage.

Singles Challenge Ahead

Hurkacz's singles tournament begins against Fucsovics, a player who has defeated him in both prior encounters on the professional circuit. The weather in Den Bosch presented challenges during the tournament schedule, with rain delays disrupting match timing throughout the day. Heavy service games and successful break-point defense defined much of the preliminary singles action, reflecting the competitive level of the ATP 250 event.

The Libema Open carries a prize pool of 723,400 euros and marks Hurkacz's formal entry into the grass-court season for 2026. His quarterfinal doubles opponent will be determined by the outcome of matches between Dutch teams Sander Arends and David Pel or the wild-card pairing of Thijmen Loof and Mick Veldheer.