Fils finishes 'perfect week' with Bordeaux Challenger title
Top seed Arthur Fils collected his second ATP Challenger Tour crown Sunday, when he cruised past Spaniard Pedro Martinez 6-2, 6-3 to triumph at the BNP Paribas Primrose in Bordeaux, France.
In front of a packed stadium on home soil, the 19-year-old relied on his firepower and all-court coverage to pull away from the second seed. Despite failing to serve the first set out during a seven-deuce game at 5-1, Fils quickly rebounded to break Martinez and race to the finish line. The #NextGenATP teen dropped just one set all week.
“I’m really happy about the win. It was a perfect week for me, had some tough matches against tough opponents but I’m really happy to win this tournament,” said Fils, No. 34 in the PIF ATP Rankings. “I’m looking forward to playing Roland Garros.”
A year ago, Fils won his maiden ATP Tour crown in Lyon before making his major main-draw debut at Roland Garros. Fils will now look to build upon this week’s momentum at his home Slam, where he fell in the first round last year.
Fils’ triumph in Bordeaux also gives him more separation atop the PIF ATP Live Race to Jeddah. Boasting a 17-13 season record across all levels, Fils is aiming for a return trip to the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, the 20-and-under event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, held from 18-22 December.