By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday December 1, 2023
Arthur Fils and Hamad Medjedovic continued to run the table at the Next Gen ATP Finals.
Photo Source: TTV
And then there were two. The ATP’s best and brightest Next Gen stars have spend the week competing in Jeddah, and two players have stood head and shoulders above the rest.
Arthur Fils of France and Hamad Medjedovic of Serbia both reached the final without a single blemish to their record, completing 4-0 runs on Day 4 to set the final.
Fils, the highest-ranked player among the eight-player field at the Next Gen ATP Finals, defeated his longtime friend Luca Van Assche in four sets, 2-4, 4-1, 4-3(1), 4-3(6), to remain perfect for the week. The 19-year-old, ranked 36, has risen over 200 spots in this year’s rankings, and is the top seed at the event.
Frenchman awaits Medjedovic or Stricker Arthur Fils maintained his perfect record at this year’s Next Gen ATP Finals presented by NEOM on Friday when he moved past countryman and close friend Luca Van Assche to reach the final in Jeddah.
"Today was a tough match against a great, great friend,” Fils said of the man who defeated him in the 2021 Roland-Garros Boys’ Singles final. “We've known each other since we were nine, so it was a little bit tough and I'm happy with the win.
“I came onto the court with the mindset that I can win. The first set was tough, he was playing very good and defending so well, running very fast. I kept my focus and I'm really happy about this win."
Medjedovic advanced when Switzerland’s Dominic Stricker retired with an upper leg injury in the second set of their encounter (4-3(5), 2-1 RET).
Medjedovic, coached by former World No.12 and current Serbian Davis Cup captain Viktor Troicki, reached two ATP semifinals in 2023, and won three challenger titles. He enters the event ranked at No.110.