At the Itau-sponsored Miami Open on Monday, Arthur Fils overcame cramps to win an exciting third-round match.
The 20-year-old Frenchman secured a victory over Frances Tiafoe with a score of 7-6 (11), 5-7, 6-2 at the hard-court ATP Masters 1000, clinching the final five games. After missing two match points in the second set, Fils adjusted his strategy, aiming for swift, decisive plays in the third set to recover from a 1-2 deficit and secure the win.
Fils, who is set to face top seed Alexander Zverev in the fourth round, recounted the difficulty he faced in the match, describing how he started cramping in the third set and lost his rhythm. He mentioned that his serve became challenging because he couldn't jump, so he attempted to relax, play quickly, and hit as hard as possible, which somehow paid off.
Fils acknowledged that this strategy won't succeed every time, suggesting it might work one or two times out of ten, and fortunately, it did today. He expressed happiness about the outcome but also praised his opponent, Frances, calling him a formidable champion. Fils noted that it was their first encounter and expressed hope for many more intense matches in the future.
Fils won the first set 13/11 in the tie-break that was the joint-longest of the 2025 season thus far, saving six set points in a contest that fluctuated throughout. At 5-4 in the second set, he squandered his first two match points. Tiafoe then went on a three-game run to force the pair's first-ever Lexus ATP Head2Head match to a decider.
In the third game, Tiafoe, the home favorite, seemed to seize control of the third set with a break. Tiafoe was hoping to earn back-to-back tour-level victories for the first time since he advanced to the US Open semi-finals in September. Fils' late onslaught, however, saw the Frenchman score three straight breaks of service with a sequence of blistering strokes from both wings.
The two-hour, 55-minute match saw Fils convert four of his 14 break points, according to Infosys ATP Stats. In addition to reaching the fourth round in his last three Masters 1000 events, the Frenchman is currently two positions higher at No. 16 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, increasing his prospects of hitting a new career high following Miami.
Fils, who has achieved this feat at Miami, Indian Wells, and Paris (last season), said it is important to him to make it to the fourth round of the Masters twice in a single year. He thought about his past success in Indian Wells and said that he expected a tough week.
He expressed sadness for Gabriel Diallo's injuries and was very focused for his first-round matchup. According to Fils, he found a way to go on and is now in the fourth round, where he will play the top seed. He is forward to watch how the match plays out.