Day two of the Montpellier Open 2026 is now complete, adding another layer of drama and contrast to an already unpredictable tournament. Alongside earlier results, the final three matches of the day delivered a dominant performance, a high-quality all-French battle, and another unusual victory involving one of the youngest players in the draw.
Nardi dominant against Basilashvili
Italian Luca Nardi progressed with little trouble, defeating Nikoloz Basilashvili in straight sets, 6–3, 6–3. Nardi broke twice in the opening set and once in the second, maintaining control throughout the match.
Basilashvili struggled to apply pressure, earning just one break point across the entire encounter and failing to convert it. Nardi’s consistency and ability to protect his own serve proved decisive as he comfortably booked his place in the next round.
Manarino survives thriller against Humbert
The match of the day came in an all-French showdown between Ugo Humbert and Adrian Manarino, with Manarino emerging victorious in three tight sets, 2–1.
Humbert claimed the opening set in a tie-break after both players held serve almost flawlessly, with only two break points appearing in the third game—both missed by Manarino. The second set saw a dip in serving quality, as Manarino saved six break points and converted one of his four opportunities, which proved enough to force a decider.
In the third set, neither player dropped serve. Humbert came within inches of victory at 5–4, holding three match points, but failed to convert. The momentum shift proved costly, as Manarino dominated the tie-break 7–4 to seal a dramatic win.
Despite firing 23 aces, Humbert was undone by inconsistency, finishing the match with 54 unforced errors, compared to 29 for Manarino. The Montpellier crowd was treated to a high-level and emotionally charged contest.
Arthur Gea advances again as Macháč retires
In the final match of the day, young Frenchman Arthur Gea, born in 2005, advanced after Tomáš Macháč retired due to injury in the second set. Gea had taken the first set 6–3 with a single break and was trailing 4–5 in the second when Macháč was forced to stop.
The result continues an unusual run for Gea in Montpellier. In his opening match, he also advanced after his opponent Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard was forced to retire after accidentally hitting himself in the eye. As a result, Gea has now won two matches while completing just two full sets.
Montpellier momentum building
With day two now fully wrapped up, Montpellier continues to deliver a blend of clean victories, tactical battles and unexpected storylines. As the tournament moves deeper into the draw, form, fitness and mental resilience are proving just as important as ranking on the fast indoor surface.
For a full overview of the draw, seeds and players to watch, see our tournament preview here.
To catch up on earlier action, read our first-round recap here and our day two opening report here.
With the European indoor swing moving quickly toward Rotterdam, off-court developments are also shaping the upcoming week. Read more about Alexander Zverev’s withdrawal from Rotterdam here.
