Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Rising French star Arthur Fils delivered a stunning comeback to edge past American Tommy Paul in a quarter-final at the Miami Open, saving four match points to win 6-7(3), 7-6(4), 7-6(6), and secure his place in his first ATP Masters 1000 semifinal.
In a contest lasting two hours and 47 minutes, the 21-year-old Frenchman showed composure under pressure, rallying from 2/6 in the final-set tie-break by winning six straight points to produce one of the most dramatic wins of the season. But, Fils managed to prevail without breaking Paul’s serve at any point.
Seeded 28th, Fils maintained an aggressive style throughout, hitting the ball with increasing power as the match wore on. This victory marked a major breakthrough for the young player, who had previously lost all four of his ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final matches, including a recent exit at Indian Wells.
With this win, he became the youngest French semi-finalist at this level since Richard Gasquet reached the semi-finals in Paris in 2007 at the age of 21.
Fils will next face the Czech player Jiri Lehecka, whom he leads 2-1 in their head-to-head record. Their most recent encounter was in Doha earlier this year, where the Frenchman won in straight sets.
