By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday February 24, 2023
Arthur Fils raced past Stan Wawrinka in 66 minutes to reach his second ATP semifinal in three weeks.
Photo Source: TTV
Arthur Fils had never won an ATP level match prior to February. Now the 18-year-old, who will turn 19 just after Roland-Garros, has five, and two ATP semifinals to his name.
On Friday in Marseille he whizzed past three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka in 66 minutes, 6-2, 6-3, to book an all-French semifinal with Benjamin Bonzi in Marseille.
Fils has a healthy respect for 37-year-old Wawrinka, and he was proud to have earned a win against the legend.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” Fils explained. “I was watching him play during all my young career. I was hitting in Bercy with him in practice, and now I beat him. It’s a long way for my coach and my family, but it’s not over yet and I want to enjoy more.”
Fils, the 2021 Roland-Garros boys singles runner-up and a former junior No.3, has proven to be a quick study on tour – he has wins over Richard Gasquet, Roberto Bautista Agut and Wawrinka to prove it.
The teen is up to 104 in the live rankings and could crack the top 100 with a win over Bonzi, who defeated Alex de Minaur in straight sets (6-2, 6-4) to round out the semis in Marseille.
The top half semi will feature top-seeded Hubert Hurkacz and Alexander Bublik. Both players saved match points en route to victory on Friday, with Hurkacz saving one in the final-set breaker to oust Mikael Ymer, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(6), while Bublik saved a pair in his third-set breaker, rallying from 4-6 down to defeat Grigor Dimitrov, 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(6).