It turns out that playing in Japan Open qualifying may not have been a bad thing for Arthur Fils.
In a matchup worthy of final (especially given all of the upsets that have already taken place in Tokyo), Fils and Frances Tiafoe found themselves squaring off during second-round action on Friday. It was the Frenchman who emerged victorious, powering his way into the quarters with a 6-3, 7-5 victory.
“It was definitely a very good match,” Fils assessed. “My level was very good from the start until the end. I’m very happy with the way I handles my serve under pressure, because he’s a great returner. I had to really be focused, and I’m really happy I did it, so it’s positive.”
Fils is unseeded because he was relegated to the qualies after missing the entry deadline while debating which tournament to sign up for — either Tokyo or Beijing. But maybe that development was a blessing in disguise for the world No. 9. He started slow in the qualifying rounds, dropping a set to both Martin Damm and Kamil Majchrzak. By the time Fils reached the main draw, he was off to the races. The Cincinnati champion opened with a 6-3, 6-2 rout of Luca Van Assche and then required just one hour and 30 minutes to dispose of the second-seeded Tiafoe.
No. 8 seed Valentin Vacherot, Jaume Munar, and Kyrian Jacquet also advanced on Friday. Vacherot and Carlos Alcaraz are the only seeded players remaining in the entire Tokyo draw.
nice one, Fils