Day three at the Montpellier Open 2026 delivered a full slate of action, featuring comebacks, dominant performances and a crowd-pleasing all-French finale on Centre Court. As the tournament moves deeper into the draw, form and consistency on the indoor hard courts continue to separate contenders from the rest.
Droguet completes comeback against Kovacevic
Frenchman Titouan Droguet produced a strong comeback to defeat American Aleksandar Kovacevic in three sets. Kovacevic struck first, breaking serve in the opening game and holding the advantage to take the first set 6–4.
The second set was completely balanced, with neither player facing a break point. Droguet held his nerve in the tie-break, edging it 7–5 to force a deciding set. Carrying the momentum forward, the Frenchman broke early in the third set and maintained his serve throughout, closing out a 6–4 final set to seal the victory.
Griekspoor efficient against Carreño Busta
Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor, who is set to compete at next week’s Rotterdam Open, advanced with a composed straight-sets win over Pablo Carreño Busta. Griekspoor secured one break in each set, which proved sufficient in a controlled 2–0 victory, highlighting his efficiency in fast indoor conditions.
Nardi dominates all-Italian clash
The all-Italian derby between Luca Nardi and Flavio Cobolli ended far more comfortably than expected for Nardi. The Italian broke twice in each set to claim a convincing 6–2, 6–3 win over his compatriot.
Nardi’s superiority was reflected in the numbers, finishing with 17 winners to Cobolli’s 9, while committing significantly fewer unforced errors (20 compared to Cobolli’s 27), a combination that left little room for resistance.
Auger-Aliassime edges past Wawrinka
Canadian top seed Félix Auger-Aliassime overcame veteran Stan Wawrinka, who turns 41 in March, in a high-quality encounter decided in straight sets.
Auger-Aliassime struck first in the opening set, breaking serve and eventually closing it out 6–4, despite Wawrinka creating two break opportunities that went unconverted. The second set proved even tighter. Félix broke to lead 3–2, only for Wawrinka to respond immediately. Both players held serve from there, sending the set to a tie-break, where Auger-Aliassime raised his level to win it 7–3 and secure the match.
Fils wins all-French battle to close the day
The final match on Centre Court delivered a treat for the Montpellier crowd, as Arthur Fils defeated fellow Frenchman Ugo Blanchet in straight sets.
The opening set featured multiple momentum swings and breaks before heading into a tie-break, where Fils showed superior composure to prevail 7–4. In the second set, serves dominated until 5–4, when Fils missed two match points. Undeterred, he held serve to move ahead 6–5, then broke Blanchet to close the match 7–5.
Montpellier heads toward the decisive rounds
With Thursday’s action complete, Montpellier continues to showcase tight margins, contrasting styles and strong home performances. As the tournament approaches its later stages, consistency under pressure remains the key currency on the indoor courts.Friday’s quarterfinals preview is available here.
For a full overview of the draw and players to watch, see our:
👉 tournament preview here.
To catch up on earlier action, read:
👉 first-round recap here
👉day two opening report here
👉complete day two round-up here
