When Richard Gasquet did it, Arthur Fils was only… four months old. And on Friday, he took over by becoming at 18 years and 8 months the youngest French semi-finalist of a tournament on the ATP circuit since his glorious elder Biterrois in the fall of 2004. Sacred wink of fate when we know that Fils had eliminated Gasquet earlier this week in the first round of this Open Sud de France which will undoubtedly mark a turning point for him. In the quarter-finals, he once more impressed once morest another compatriot, Quentin Halys (70th in the world), winning in two sets and 1h22 of play on the Patrice-Dominguez court. The Top 100 is already not very far away…
ATP Montpellier
Halys joins Fils for a 100% blue quarter, Rinderknech stops
YESTERDAY AT 3:11 PM
He laughed with happiness a little prematurely. The time that Quentin Halys’ challenge confirms that Arthur Jr. had hit a sliced ace to seal a game that was more than smoothly conducted. Because the young Frenchman bluffed, once once more this week, with his maturity and his mental stability. Add to that an explosive and attractive tennis and the temptation to ignite (finally) for the tricolor succession is very strong.
An entrance mini-break and Son escaped
Arthur Fils thus led his game like an old veteran. He first responded tit for tat to his opponent in a first set which gave pride of place to the servers. Neither of the two players had thus conceded the slightest break point before the decisive game which might be expected to be tight. Nay! By striking from the first point a long passing line of remarkable forehand following a remarkable defense, Son took the lead with a mini-break and psychologically marked his opponent. Halys then went wrong in the forehand, leaving the first set to his young compatriot.
“Son and Van Assche lift each other up and can inspire the next generation”
Far from resting on his laurels, Fils hit the nail on the head by winning the first 15 points of the second act (7-6, 3-0, 0/40), like what big names often do once they are ahead in the score. And if the double break escaped him in stride, he was able to show calm to erase the only opportunity to break Halys. Here once more, the manner is not insignificant: when he had committed three double faults in this game, he dismissed the danger of a missile on the backhand along the line.
At the foot of Sinner Mountain
Son never panicked. No more to save this break point than when he saw the first two match points slipping from under his nose on the raise (on powerful services from Halys). The fourth try was the right one, with an ace, like his childhood idol Roger Federer loved to deliver the coup de grace. In the semi-finals, the march will be even higher once morest Jannik Sinner.
The Italian has also imposed his law on one of his compatriots in the person of Lorenzo Sonego. Seeded 2 in the tournament, he also made a very strong impression to win in two sets (6-4, 6-2) and 1h35 of play on the Patrice Dominguez court. The challenge therefore promises to be immense for Son on Saturday, but this week nothing seems out of reach.
ATP Montpellier
Bonzi and Van Assche out in the first round, it passes for Halys and Rinderknech
02/07/2023 At 6:42 PM
ATP Montpellier
The passage of witnesses: Gasquet falls in front of Fils
02/06/2023 At 09:13 PM