Frenchman Fils edges out Nakashima to reach first ATP final in Lyon

The 18-year-old will play Francisco Cerundolo for the title

May 26, 2023

An enormous performance just before the French Open, Arthur Fils chose his moment! On the clay courts of Lyon, the Frenchman qualified for the first final of his career by eliminating Brandon Nakashima, ranked 52nd in the world, after a tough three-set battle (7-5, 4-6, 7-6).

A semi-finalist at the Open Sud de France in Montpellier and the Open 13 in Marseille, Fils finally managed to take the next step by reaching the final of the Lyon tournament, in front of a French crowd that was totally behind him.

Thanks to his superb week in Rhône-Alpes, the 18-year-old will break into the Top 100 in the next ATP rankings, a first for him, and will be ranked at least 84th in the world, the highest ranking of his career.

Nerves of steel required

Fils needed nerves of steel to get through Friday’s match against Brandon Nakashima, who was more experienced than he was. Towards the end of the match, the Frenchman began to cramp up and initially thought he had won 5-4 after his opponent’s final forehand went too long. On the ground to celebrate, the joy was short-lived after the referee’s decision to validate the point for the American.

After expressing his displeasure, the 18-year-old remained in his bubble until the end of the tie-break, which he won 7-5. Arthur Fils first went to the net to shake Brandon Nakashima’s hand before finally being able to celebrate the best performance of his career.

On Saturday, the Frenchman will attempt to win his first title on the ATP Tour. He will face Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo, ranked 28th in the world. It will be the first meeting between the two men.