Tommy Paul was understandably disappointed after losing one of the matches of the season to Arthur Fils in Miami.
French ace Fils came from behind to beat home favorite Paul 6-7(3-7), 7-6(7-4), 7-6(8-6), with two hours and 47 minutes needed to separate the duo.
The ATP number 31 remarkably saved four match points en route to the victory, winning six successive points at 2/6 in the deciding-set tie-break to emerge victorious.
Fils hailed “the best result I’ve had in my life so far”, with Paul left with a feeling of what could have been at the Miami Open.
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Tommy Paul says tie-breakers decided his match vs Arthur Fils
Paul said after the agonizing defeat: “We were both hitting through the court a lot; both hitting the ball with a lot of speed.
“I had a lot more looks earlier on in his service games and he had a couple looks there at the very end.
“But for the most part both of us were taking care of our serves. The breakers decided the match.
“In the third he was able to close out the match and I wasn’t. Obviously, we always want more as players.
“Unless you leave with the trophy, you’re not ever really satisfied.”
| Tommy Paul | Arthur Fils | |
| 115 | Total | 114 |
| 86 | Service points won | 90 |
| 29 | Return points won | 24 |
Can Arthur Fils challenge Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz?
It’s been a stunning run recently from Fils, who before February had only played twice in nine months due to a stress fracture in his back.
His return has perhaps exceeded all of his expectations, with the 21-year-old now into his first-ever ATP Masters 1000 semifinal.
He will now take on Jiri Lehecka for a spot in the Miami final, with Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev among his potential final opponents should he come out on top.
And a Fils versus Sinner final is a very exciting prospect, with the former having arguably shown he has what it takes to challenge the latter and Carlos Alcaraz.
Alcaraz and Sinner have dominated men’s tennis for several years now, with no other player really stepping up to upset that dominance.
But since his return from injury, Fils has managed to reach an ATP final, losing to Alcaraz in Qatar in February.
He also reached the Indian Wells quarterfinals, while in Miami Fils handed Stefanos Tsitsipas the heaviest defeat of his career.
The Frenchman is showing superb promise, and it may just be enough to worry ATP leaders Sinner and Alcaraz.
Is Arthur Fils a genuine threat to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner?
Importantly, he’s only going to get better with more time on the court following his injury, while at 21 he has plenty of time to iron out his weaknesses.
Fils will, however, need to improve his 0-3 head-to-head with Alcaraz sooner rather than later, while he’ll also be keen to level his 0-1 record against Sinner in the near future.
Whether or not he can close the gap remains to be seen, but one certainty is that the young French talent is a real entertainer.
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