October 01, (THEWILL) – Arthur Fils clinched victory at the Japan Open on Tuesday, to remain in the conversation of his true potential. The 20-year-old French tennis player, ranked 24th globally, overcame a match point to defeat fellow countryman Ugo Humbert in a thrilling final that lasted 3 hours and 4 minutes. The final score stood at 5-7 7-6 (8/6) 6-3 in favour of Fils.
This triumph marks Fils’ third career title and his second of the year, following his success in Hamburg. The young athlete’s performance in Tokyo was particularly noteworthy, as he became the youngest champion at the event in over four decades. Fils’ path to victory included challenging matches against top-seeded players such as US Open finalist Taylor Fritz, defending champion Ben Shelton, and sixth-seeded Holger Rune.
For Humbert, ranked 19th in the world, this match ended his streak of six consecutive final victories. He was aiming to become the first player in ATP tour history to win his first seven finals. The all-French final was a significant event, being the first of its kind on the ATP tour in four years.
Fils demonstrated remarkable resilience throughout the tournament. In the final, he faced a match point during the second-set tiebreak but managed to level the match. He then broke Humbert’s serve to gain a 5-3 lead in the final set, ultimately serving for the championship. Fils sealed his victory with an ace down the centre on his first match point.
The Japan Open final was a demonstration of the rising talent in French tennis. The Open has further solidified Fils’ position as a promising young player to watch in the tennis world.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
