In the middle of a tense, erratic start to a rain-delayed semi-final day in Cincinnati, Arthur Fils found himself locked in defence and miles behind the baseline on his serve at 3-3. He scurried from sideline to sideline, lunging toward the ball at full stretch, seemingly with no real chance of turning things around. As Flavio Cobolli swept to the net with the intention of finishing Fils off, however, the Italian soon learned that his opponent had another gear to reach.
From far wide of the court, Fils pulverised a forehand passing shot winner beyond his astounded opponent, drawing a roar from the crowd. That one point alone provided evidence of the athleticism, explosiveness and sheer audacity that have long marked Fils as such a rare, exciting talent, and it also set the tone for a monumental victory. From that moment onwards, Fils took control of the match and he marched into his first Masters 1000 final at the Cincinnati Open with a supreme performance, defeating Cobolli, the No 7 seed, 6-3, 6-4.
Fils has now reached a final, two semi-finals and two other quarter-finals in his five completed Masters 1000 tournaments this year. He also won his fourth title at the Barcelona Open 500 event and he has won four of his last six matches against top 10 opponents. As he seeks his first Masters 1000, he now sits at No 6 in the race to the ATP Finals.
He will rise to a career high ranking of No 11. Fils has played some incredible tennis this year, and it is far from surprising for such a talented 22-year-old player taking the next step in his career. His problem, simply, is how infrequently he has been able to play.
In spring last year, Fils suffered a stress fracture in his back that forced him to retire from Roland Garros, his home grand slam tournament, and essentially sidelined him for nine months. During his time away, Fils made countless changes to his game, including altering his forehand and serve technique, learning how to slide into his backhand on hard courts and dropping weight. He returned to competition a far better player, producing the best tennis of his career early in his comeback.
However, just as it seemed like he had found his way back, his body betrayed him again. A week after his run to the Madrid Open semi-final, Fils suffered a hip injury at the beginning of his opening round match at the Italian Open that forced him to again withdraw from Roland Garros. His performances this season showed beyond doubt that he was capable of achieving great things, but it remained unclear if his body would allow it.
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