(Photo credit score: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images)
Frenchman Arthur Fils is making probably the most out of his restricted motion in 2026.
The Twenty first-seeded 22-year outdated knocked off Frances Tiafoe, 6-3, 1-6, 6-0 to seize the Cincinnati Open on Sunday afternoon in Mason, Ohio.
The title is Fils’ second of the season, fifth of his profession, however his first ATP Masters 1000 crown.
‘Wow, that feels good. That feels good,’ Fils stated. ‘It’s quite a lot of coaching, quite a lot of issues, quite a lot of sacrifice. Injury. To be capable of win one title like this implies rather a lot to me.’
Fils obtained a late begin to the 2026 marketing campaign, as he was nonetheless recovering from a lower-back stress fracture, which curtailed his 2025 season. He missed the Australian Open, however reached the finals in Doha, the quarters at Indian Wells and the semis in Miami.
The power-hitting right-hander capped that run with a title on the clay in Barcelona in mid-April.
But after a semifinal loss to Jannik Sinner in Madrid, Fils needed to pull out of Rome with extra again (and hip) points and didn’t play at his dwelling slam in Roland Garros.
Fils has moved up eight spots to fifth place within the Race to Turin, the eight-man occasion which caps the season.
Tiafoe, who has served effectively throughout his run to the finals, had a poor day on Sunday. He solely put 39.1% (27-of-69) of his first serves in for the match and simply 32% within the first set. Fils gained 20-of-23 of his service factors within the first set and cruised in 29 minutes.
But Tiafoe, impressed by the pro-American crowd, flipped the script within the second set, breaking Fils within the second and sixth video games and dropping solely six factors on serve to arrange a decider.
Perhaps Fils saved vitality in that set as a result of he gained 30-of-48 factors within the third set, though Tiafoe battled in a 16-point last recreation.
Fils paid homage to Tiafoe in his post-match feedback.
‘It’s good to be right here and play a last in opposition to you,’ stated Fils. ‘When I used to be younger I used to be watching you a large number on TV. You’re one of many guys that made me activate the TV. So I’m very pleased to see you again at that stage. I hope we’re gonna have quite a lot of good battles.’
Both gamers will relaxation and get well earlier than beginning play within the U.S. Open, which will get underway in New York on Aug. 30. The attracts might be introduced on August 27.
Winston-Salem Open
Jenson Brooksby wanted precisely an hour to defeat France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in a 6-3, 6-2 first-round win on the North Carolina occasion.
Brooksby, 74th within the ATP rankings, was dominant in all phases, going through no break factors on his serve whereas changing 4 of 6 break-point possibilities on his opponent’s serve. He’ll have a more durable check within the subsequent spherical in opposition to No. 7 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, who was awarded a first-round bye.
In different first-round matches, Italy’s Mattia Bellucci wanted simply over 2 1/2 hours to flee with a 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-1 win over Spanish wild card Martin Landaluce. That was the one three-set match of the day. Australia’s Rinky Hijikata swept Darwin Blanch 6-4, 7-6 (2); Francisco Comesana of Argentina bested China’s Yibing Wu 6-3, 6-4; Serbia’s Mlomir Kecmanovic beat Sho Shimabukuro of Japan 6-4, 6-3; and Paraguayan Adolfo Daniel Vallejo superior when forward 6-4, 3-0 as Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain retired.
–Field Level Media