Arthur Fils dropped the opening set of the Japan Open men's singles final on Tuesday night, October 1. But he kept his composure and earned his second ATP Tour title of 2024.
Fils defeated French compatriot Ugo Humbert in Tokyo 5-7, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 in a 3-hour, 4-minute match at Ariake Coliseum.
It was the first all-French matchup in a tournament final since 2020 on the ATP Tour. And both participants are very familiar with each other's game. Fils and Humbert were doubles partners at the Paris Olympics.
Fils, 20, sealed his hard-fought comeback victory with an ace.
After the match, Fils, who was slowed down by pain in his left leg in the second set, insisted it was an improbable triumph.
"Honestly I don't know [how I turned it around]," the world No 24 said. "After 5-all in the first [set], I was feeling dead on the court. He was playing unbelievable shots. It was a very tight first set. I got a lot of break points and didn't break. He's such a great champion and it was very tough."
Fils continued: "I tried my best in the second set and then I saved one match point. Everything in tennis can turn in only one second, and it turned. So I'm very happy, but I could have lost today."
In July, Fils won his first tournament of the year, defeating Alexander Zverev 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-1) in the Hamburg Open final.
Successful Comeback for Fils
Leading 4-3 in the second set and holding a 40-0 advantage with Fils serving, 19th-ranked Humbert appeared on the verge of wrapping up the match. But Fils clawed his way back into contention, including a splendid backhand winner, to tie the pivotal set at 6-6. Fils then outlasted Humbert in the tiebreaker to force a winner-take-all third set.
After the match wrapped up, Fils noted that the aforementioned backhand was a shot to remember.
"Honestly, I think it's the best backhand I hit all week," Fils said, according to the ATP Tour website. "It was crazy. I tried my best and it went perfectly."
Humbert, 26, entered the Japan Open title match with a 6-0 career record in tourney finals on the ATP Tour.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, he offered some perspective on his competitive mindset as a tennis player.
"Because the final is the last match, I get motivated, and maybe that's why I'm able to win the title," Humbert said.
The Road to the Japan Open Final
In Monday's semifinals, Humbert topped Czech opponent Tomas Machac 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. Fils prevailed 7-6 (10-8), 7-6 (12-10) over Denmark's world No 14 Holger Rune.
Rune booked a spot in the semifinals with a 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 win over two-time tournament champion Kei Nishikori in the quarterfinals.
"It was a great match," world No 200 Nishikori said after the match, according to Kyodo News. "He raised his level and started playing well in the second and third."
Nishikori added, "He managed all the important points, especially in the third set, [and] he really deserved this win today."
In addition to his semifinal victory over Rune, Fils knocked off seventh-ranked Taylor Fritz and 2023 Japan Open champion Ben Shelton, the world No 17, en route to the title.
"I'm very happy about the tennis I'm producing," Fils commented. He then said, "I'm working a lot and trying to build my tennis. I think now it's better, from Hamburg to here, [and] I still have to improve but it's cool."
Oda Wins 2nd Japan Open Wheelchair Tennis Singles Title
Tokito Oda defended his men's wheelchair tennis singles title at the Japan Open on Sunday, September 29, beating Argentina's Gustavo Fernandez 6-3, 6-4 in the final.
It was a matchup of medalists from the Paris Games, with Olympian champion Oda outplaying bronze medalist Fernandez, a former top-ranked player.
The 18-year-old Oda, who is ranked No 1 in the world, secured the title with a run of three victories in as many matches in Tokyo. Oda has won seven singles titles on the ITF Wheelchair Tennis Tour in 2024.
He was pleased tickets were sold out for Sunday's event.
"I think there were a lot of people who came to watch wheelchair tennis," Oda told reporters. "For me, that is new and ideal. That was the best part."
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Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
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