In the semifinals of the men’s singles tournament in Ohio, Arthur Fils confidently defeated Italian Flavio Cobolli (ATP-10) with a score of 6:3, 6:4, who was playing in his first “Masters” semifinal.
Read more After the storm – the latest road workers’ message to drivers
The 22-year-old Frenchman, who had to stop mid-last season due to a severe back injury, has returned with a bang this year, showing all his strength precisely in the “Masters” tournaments.
In Cincinnati, he reached the final, in Madrid and Miami – the semifinals, and in Indian Wells and Montreal – the quarterfinal stages.
Moreover, the young man won the ATP 500 series championship in Barcelona, and in Doha he lost in the final to Carlos Alcaraz.
A. Fils became only the second tennis player born in 2004 or later to reach a “Masters” final. Last year in Miami, this was achieved by Czech Jakub Menšík, who sensationally defeated Novak Djokovic himself.
Read more Adolfas Grušas. Sunday Gospel. Pebbles
After the tournament, the Frenchman will make a significant jump in the ATP rankings and rise to 11th position. Since he did not participate in the “US Open” last year and will not need to defend points in New York this year, he will be able to secure his debut in the Top 10 in the coming weeks.
In the big final on Sunday, A. Fils’ opponent will be the home court player Frances Tiafoe (ATP-23). The latter ended a very solid run by his compatriot Brandon Nakashima (ATP-22), winning with a score of 7:5, 6:3.
For the 28-year-old American, this is the second career “Masters” final, and both were reached on these courts in Cincinnati. Two years ago, in the fight for the title, F. Tiafoe lost to Jannik Sinner with a score of 6:7(4), 2:6.
