French teen next meets Kokkinakis

Top seed Arthur Fils began his title quest Thursday at the ATP Challenger Tour 175 event in Bordeaux, France.

Fils produced superb all-court coverage and unleashed his forehand in front of his home fans, treating them to a 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 victory against Botic van de Zandschulp. The 19-year-old, who holds the top spot in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, will meet Thanasi Kokkinakis in Friday's quarter-finals at the BNP Paribas Primrose.

A finalist at last year's Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, Fils is aiming for a return trip to the 20-and-under event, held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from 18-22 December.

Fellow #NextGenATP teen Shang Juncheng continued his quest for a Top 100 debut in Monday's PIF ATP Rankings by rallying past Roberto Carballes Baena 1-6, 6-4, 6-2. The Chinese lefty is up to No. 97 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.