Issue #12 | Arthur Fils: Never Scared

Issue #12 | Arthur Fils: Never Scared

In 1992, HBO premiered the second season of Def Comedy Jam. Martin Lawrence would introduce an up and coming, but well-seasoned comedian from the South Side of Chicago. An egregiously confident Bernie Mac would saunter onto the stage with his own face airbrushed on his jeans and some type of deconstructed patchwork rayon shirt (which was totally fly and standard issue attire for its time thanks to Bell, Biv, DeVoe).

Mac grabbed the mic, looked at the audience and would utter six words that would convincingly break the ice and establish the tone for the rest of his set with the often unforgiving and always raucous Harlem crowd. Cooler than a fan and without an ounce of fear, Mac came forward with his chest out. “I ain’t scared of you muthafuckas,” he said deadass. The place erupted and Mac had the room from that moment on.

In yesterday’s broadcast of the Hamburg Open final, one of the commentators mentioned how Arthur Fils’ parents have instilled in him to always be fearless. With his family in attendance, it was clear he's paid close attention, clear he’s been a model student of their teachings. You can sense his fearlessness in the fury in which he strikes a tennis ball, and with the audacity to which he carries himself on the tennis court. 

In Sunday’s final, with nothing more than a Babolat Pure Aero and the confidence of an unfairly handsome 20 year old Frenchman, Fils would embody Mac’s Def Comedy vibes, sending the same, intentional message. "I'm not scared, and I ain't come here for no foolishness either."

Fils wasn’t going to be rattled by the crowd, nor was he going to be shook by the enormity of the moment. And without question, he certainly had no fear of the six foot six, defending champion from Germany on the other side of the net. It wasn't easy, but three and a half hours later, Fils would hoist his second tour level trophy (his first 500), defeating Alexander Zverev in three sets, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (1). 

Keys to the Match
By looking at the score, one could conclude that it was a very evenly contested match, and that breaks in the first and second sets tilted those sets for each player accordingly. And while there are some pretty even numbers in some statistical categories, there were three significant difference makers that changed the course of the match for me, leading up to the anticlimactic, lopsided tiebreaker that Fils dominated to close the match.

Break Points
You could say that Zverev really lost this match by only converting one of twenty-two break point opportunities across the three sets, his only break coming in the second. The reality though, is that Fils was clutch at staving off the break point chances. Just when you thought he may have been feeling some pressure, Fils stepped up and delivered answers when he needed them most. He is developing an unwavering trust in himself mentally, and is able to translate that into what he needs to do on the court. When he was down, he never flinched, never panicked, and it was THE key differentiator that kept him in this match and won him this championship.

Net Play
Over the course of three sets, both players made it to the net quite a bit (Zverev 15/25 - 63%, Fils 25/32 - 78%). In the second set, Zverev found great success, going 7/7 at the net while Fils was only 4/9. In the third set however, Fils stepped up not only his own offensive net game going 16/18 (89%), but his defense against Zverev’s approaches, limiting Zverev to 7/14 (50%) net points in the third set. Although breaks for either player never came in the third, Fils was definitely the more assertive player and was effective at the net during the tiebreaker.

Taking a page out of the Alcaraz playbook from the French Open, Fils used his big forehand to pin Zverev in the corners of the court, allowing him to get to the net, yielding him a 10 point advantage throughout the match and a nine point advantage in the third set alone at the net.

Winners
For the match, Fils hit 41 winners to Zverev’s 23, and more importantly in the third set, Fils had 22 winners to Zverev’s 5. I should also note that 8 of Zverev’s 23 winners for the match were aces, and only one of those came in the third set. Fils throughout the match, went bigger, played more aggressive, and came up with the big shots, even if he was digging himself out of a hole (especially the five break points he saved in the third set).

Third Set Drama
This match included Alexander Zverev, so naturally there would be some drama in addition to enough line challenges by the German to rival Jelena Ostapenko. At 5-5, 30-40 in the third set, Fils made a questionable decision to try an underhand serve, which would have caught Zverev slippin’, but the ball landed just barely out of bounds. On the subsequent second serve, Zverev would shank a routine backhand well into the ad court alley and Fils would go on to hold serve.

As the players made their way to their chairs at the 6-5 changeover, Zverev chirped at Fils, most likely about the underhand serve. Fils calmly stepped to Zverev like “Yo, is there a problem son?” Suddenly and very clearly, Zverev didn’t want it. The chair umpire quickly jumped down and guided Fils to his side of the court (as if he was the instigator).

Zverev would hold to tie the set at 6-6 but Fils would take total command and dominate the tiebreaker. With Fils serving up 6-1, Zverev dumped a forehand service return into the net. The German crowd quiet and stunned, Zverev moped towards the net with his hand out for a raggedy, passive aggressive handshake, looking away from Fils at the net. I laughed to myself, “Oh, he gon’ cry in the car.”

Fils Good
This was a bold performance by Arthur Fils at the Hamburg Open final. He stepped onto the court with an undeniable confidence and maintained it even when his resolve was tested by the number four in the world. You could question Fils’ antics or his maturity (he's only 20 mind you), but based on this match, you might have to separate them from his game, as he consistently rose to the occasion during crucial moments in this match.

No matter how you slice it, his ability to fend off 21 break points was a testament to his mental grit and the high quality of his play. He demonstrated his ability to problem solve and work his way out of trouble, turning potential pitfalls into opportunities. And at the net, his assertive play dismantled Zverev’s advances in the third set, while his heavy forehand did its damage.

And in the deciding third set, Fils' fearlessness held firm. Even as tensions flared, he remained unshaken, his determination intact, and poised in the tiebreaker that secured his second tour-level trophy. Last year I said Arthur Fils was coming and he definitely isn’t scared. Don’t be fooled by the pretty boy swag, Arthur Fils got that dog in him yo.



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