Arthur Fils hits ‘Best pass I’ve ever hit in my life’ to reach Tokyo final | ATP Tour
In Tokyo
Fils hits ‘Best pass I’ve ever hit in my life’ to reach Tokyo final
The Fils will face Humbert in the final of the French all
September 30, 2024
AFP/Getty Images
Arthur Fils defeated Holger Rune in two straight sets on Monday to reach the final in Tokyo.
By ATP staff
Arthur Fils’ reaction said it all.
After hitting a last forehand shot to seal a 7-6(8), 7-6(10) victory against Holger Rune in the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships semifinal, the Frenchman collapsed on the court.
“Best pass I’ve ever hit in my life, man. The pass was crazy. I was really into this one and it came out great on my racquet. It was an amazing experience,” Fils said in his courtroom interview. “When I went to the pass, I got a big cramp in my quad and I said to myself, ‘OK, I need to win this one because otherwise I don’t know how I’m going to do it’.
“I saw it pass and I just lay down because I was really tired [from] game and the rest of the week.”
Final 2 in Tokyo! 🏆 @japanopentennis | #kinoshitajotennis pic.twitter.com/AGbhrki9Vg
– ATP Tour (@atptour) September 30, 2024
Fils is into his fourth ATP Tour final and second ATP 500, after lifting the trophy in Hamburg earlier this year. He will face fellow countryman Ugo Humbert for the title in Tokyo.
Humbert leads the Lexus ATP Head2Head series 3-0, including a 6-2, 6-2 victory two months ago in Montreal. Still, Fils is excited to face a friend in the final.
“It’s amazing. I’ve never beaten him yet, so I’ll come to the court as an underdog,” said Fils. “We like this position especially in the finals. So let’s see how it goes.” [will] go.”
Rune won three more points overall than the Fils in their semi-final according to Infosys ATP Stats, but the Frenchman found his way to two strong breaks.
The PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah number one, 20, saved three of four break points he faced to become the third youngest player in the tournament’s history.
