Fils Needs Six Match Points to Beat Michelsen in Brussels
The top seed is broken serving for the match and wins the tiebreaker 14–12 to reach the semifinals against Jan-Lennard Struff
Arthur Fils was broken when he served for the match at 6–4, 5–4, and Alex Michelsen took the second set to a tiebreaker. Fils won it 14–12 on his sixth match point.
"Then he battled very hard," Fils said of the second set. "He was playing way better tennis than I was."
Fils converted three of four break points and hit 31 winners to Michelsen's 15 in one hour and 50 minutes.
The win moved Fils, ranked No. 10, up to seventh in the ATP's live race for the ATP Finals in Turin, 266 points ahead of Rafael Jodar in ninth, the last qualifying place.
Fils plays Jan-Lennard Struff in the semifinals. Struff beat sixth seed Zizou Bergs 6–3, 7–6(6).
Francisco Cerundolo, the third seed, plays Tallon Griekspoor in the other semifinal. Griekspoor beat second seed Jiri Lehecka 4–6, 6–4, 6–3, and Cerundolo beat qualifier Clement Chidekh 6–2, 6–4 without facing a break point.
Arthur Fils beat Alex Michelsen 6–4, 7–6(12) to reach the European Open semifinals in Brussels, after dropping serve while serving for the match and needing six match points in the tiebreaker.
The top seed took the first set 6–4 and led 5–4 in the second. Michelsen broke him as he served for the match, and the set went to a tiebreaker. Fils won it 14–12 on his sixth match point.
Fils converted three of four break points and hit 31 winners to Michelsen's 15. The match lasted one hour and 50 minutes.
"At 6-4, 5-3 I saw myself in the locker room taking a shower," Fils said. "Then he battled very hard. He was playing way better tennis than I was. So I had to battle and I am happy to have finished in two sets."
The win moved the Frenchman, ranked No. 10, up to seventh in the ATP's live race for the ATP Finals in Turin. He is 266 points ahead of Rafael Jodar, who holds the last qualifying place in ninth.
Fils plays Jan-Lennard Struff in the semifinals. Struff beat Zizou Bergs, the sixth seed, 6–3, 7–6(6).
In the other half, Tallon Griekspoor beat second seed Jiri Lehecka 4–6, 6–4, 6–3. Francisco Cerundolo, the third seed, beat qualifier Clement Chidekh 6–2, 6–4 without facing a break point. Cerundolo and Griekspoor meet in the other semifinal.