French tennis is well-represented in Saturday’s Basel semifinals, as the youngster Arthur Fils takes on American Ben Shelton and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard battles the controversial Dane Holger Rune.
(6) Ben Shelton vs. (7) Arthur Fils
The Swiss Indoors Basel semifinal between Ben Shelton and 20-year-old Arthur Fils might well be the match of the tournament. Their last match was a few weeks ago and the 7-5, 6-7(5), 7-6(2) result went to Fils and was decided by just a handful of points. It’s not entirely surprising, as Shelton isn’t known for his return game and protects his serve well.
This match should offer more of the same. Even Fils and Shelton’s first match in 2023, which Shelton won, featured a tiebreaker. The Frenchman is on a roll at 500-level events. Fils has won his last two 500 tournaments (Hamburg and Tokyo), and he has enjoyed impressive success against other top-20 players. Look for another close match. Fils is playing well this week, but Shelton will be motivated–especially given the opportunity in Basel with the top seeds out.
Cheryl pick: Shelton in 3
Ricky pick: Shelton in 3
(4) Holger Rune vs. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard
Another exciting French player will be in action on Saturday. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard turned some heads at Wimbledon by making it all the way to the round of 16 as a lucky loser before going out to Lorenzo Musetti. The world No. 50 won his first event in Lyon, but the rest of the season has been a bit of a disappointment. He was 10-11 coming into Basel and suffered a series of first-round losses since Cincinnati.
Holger Rune, who was at a career-high ranking of No. 4 in the world a year ago, is currently 14th. He had a miserable U.S. Open, where he lost in the first round to Brandon Nakashima. He performed well during the Asian swing and now finds himself with an opportunity for his first final of the year. This will be the first meeting between these two men. They both play unpredictable tennis, but Rune has more experience in big matches.
Cheryl pick: Rune in 3
Ricky pick: Rune in 3
WWW?