At just 18, Frenchman Arthur Fils qualified for the final of the ATP 250 tennis tournament in Lyon on Friday by winning in three sets at the expense of American Brandon Nakashima, 52nd player in the world and seeded N. 8 7-5, 4-6 7-6 (7/5).
He will face on Saturday in the final the Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo, 28th in the world and seeded N.4, who beat the Briton Cameron Norrie, defending champion (N.14 and seeded N.2) 6-3, 6- 0.
“He is a very good opponent that I have never played. I’ve seen it plenty of times on TV. It will not be easy and you will have to know how to manage it well and if I succeed, I may have a chance of winning, ”he said at a press conference.
After two semi-finals lost in Marseille and Montpellier on ATP 250s, this is the first time that Fils, finalist of Roland-Garros juniors in singles and winner in doubles with Giovanni Mpetshi-Perricard in 2021, reached the final of a main circuit tournament. This performance will allow him to reach the world Top 90.
Recipient of an invitation to participate in the Lyon tournament, Arthur Fils had a strange week.
Winner in the first round of a qualifier, the Chinese Zhizhen Zhang 6-3, 6-2, he eliminated the Swede Mikael Ymer, disqualified at the end of the first set won by the Francilien 6-2, for having smashed his racket on the referee’s chair.
He then benefited from the package of the Canadian Félix Auger-Aliassime, seeded N.1 and N.10 in the world in the quarter-finals to climb to the half.
During his match against Nakashima, he showed great mentality.
Sanctioned for four foot faults, he overcame cramps in his left thigh at the end of the third set, requiring the intervention of the physiotherapist and the disappointment of a match point which he thought he had won at 5-4 and finally declared good in favor of his opponent.
“I suffered from quite a major cramp. I couldn’t serve too much anymore. I had to serve with a spoon, not too badly done by the way! I’m happy to get out of it. It wasn’t easy, especially against such a player who didn’t give me many points,” he commented.
“He was serving very well and I was struggling to return. He oppressed me. I had to find solutions, found more or less well, especially at the end. It turned the game around a bit,” said Fils, who “loves playing in France for the good atmosphere”.
“It’s one of the best moments of my young career but qualifying for my first final on the ATP circuit with the public as crazy as that is almost unheard of for me. But I’m already focused on my final, “said Arthur Fils, who, thanks to an invitation, will face in the first round of the French Open, the Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich.
“I train for this. This is not the end. We have to go even higher. It’s cool, it’s already a good step. We must continue,” he added.