When he’s playing the possessed brand of tennis he produced during Saturday’s semifinal against rising Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar, good luck stopping Arthur Fils.
Jodar, a talented ball striker destined for big things, did his best to meet the challenge. But in the end, Fils’ relentless energy proved decisive as the 21-year-old rallied for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory to reach the Barcelona final, where Andrey Rublev awaits.
Even in defeat, the Spaniard left an impression.
“He’s gonna be a pain in the ass to play,” Fils said with a smile.
Jodar’s dynamic shotmaking, particularly his willingness to take the backhand up the line early, pushed Fils onto the back foot. But after dropping the opening set, the Frenchman reset and gradually took control with his trademark intensity and precision.
“On TV, you don’t really realize how hard he’s hitting,” Fils said of the 19-year-old who will make his Top 50 debut next week. “The ball is flying, it’s very fast, and it’s a heavy ball.
“It took me one set to get used to his level. After that, I felt better and finished very strong.”
With the win, Fils became the fifth-youngest Frenchman to reach 100 career ATP victories, behind only Yannick Noah, Richard Gasquet, Fabrice Santoro and Henri Leconte.
Fils had his chances early. He held three break points at 0-40 in the seventh game of the opening set, but Jodar held for 4-3.
In the next game, an errant Fils forehand handed Jodar two break points at 3-4, 15-40. A string of unforced errors—three off the forehand, one off the backhand—by Fils allowed the Spaniard to seize control and eventually serve out the set, saving two break points along the way.
Jodar, riding an eight-match winning streak after claiming the trophy in Marrakech last week, dictated play early and controlled court position through the first set. But that advantage quickly evaporated.
His first loose service game of the match handed Fils a 5-3 lead in the second, and from there the momentum swung firmly.
Jodar had a chance to break back, but Fils erased it with a thunderous inside-out forehand. He saved another break point before edging a forehand-to-forehand exchange to earn set point at the 81-minute mark.
Fils closed out the set after a grueling rally, with Jodar’s final forehand drifting just long.
After converting just one of nine break points through two sets, Fils was clinical in the decider. He broke for 2-1 with a deep backhand return that forced an error, then surged ahead with another break for 5-2 after drawing a backhand mistake from Jodar.
A routine hold sealed the victory, with Fils acknowledging Jodar along with the appreciate crowd afterward.
Fils converted three of 13 break points overall and struck 20 forehand winners to Jodar’s six. He will now face fifth-seeded Andrey Rublev, aiming to capture his first title since returning from a six-month hiatus due to a stress fracture in his back.
The Frenchman is bidding for his fourth ATP title and owns a 1-1 career record against Rublev, who defeated Hamad Medjedovic earlier in the day, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.
“You can win a lot of matches in a year and still not win a title,” Fils said. “Tomorrow, I’ll try my best. Rublev is a great champion—we’ve had some great battles. It won’t be easy, but I’m happy to come in as the underdog.”