Fils swept through the opening set, dropping just three points behind his serve. Arthur Fils surged past Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 1-6, 6-0 to win his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati on Sunday. The 22-year-old bagged his biggest career title and, with the US Open starting in one week, he is projected to jump from 21st in the world rankings to a career-high 11th.
Tiafoe turned the tables as Fils’s errors mounted in the second, but after receiving treatment before the third set Tiafoe was no match for the surging Frenchman in the third.
He saved two match points in the final game, but Fils set up another with a lob and was able to celebrate as Tiafoe sent a forehand over the baseline to end it after 98 minutes. Fils suffered his first setback in the second set, saving three break points in the second game but firing a forehand long on a fourth as Tiafoe roared to a 3-0 lead. The American grabbed all of his chances to level the match after just 54 minutes, but he then called for the trainer for a massage on his right hip which has bothered him in recent weeks.
