Arthur Fils is on a roll. The Frenchman, who was crowned champion in Barcelona last Sunday, came into the Mutua Madrid Open riding the kind of momentum you only get from winning a big title. Far from showing signs of fatigue, he continues to surf the wave of confidence with increasingly impressive authority. On Tuesday, Fils notched up a convincing 6-3, 6-4 win over Tomas Martin Etcheverry to book his place in the quarter-finals.<\/p>\n
It was no ordinary victory. Fils is the first Frenchman to reach the men\u2019s quarter-finals in Madrid since Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 2013, a fact that underscores the magnitude of his week in the Caja Magica. Thirteen years have passed since the last French presence at this stage of the tournament, and it’s a 21-year-old who has ended the wait. He has navigated these big-stage encounters with a composure that should give his rivals something to worry about.<\/p>\n
The match against Etcheverry was a potential banana skin. The Argentine has been one of the most reliable players on clay this season, leading the tour in clay wins this year and winning the title in Rio de Janeiro. He is a tricky opponent and very tenacious from the baseline. However, Fils quickly found a way to impose his rhythm.<\/p>\n
The man from Bondoufle controlled the match with genuine authority. He broke serve once in each set, protected his advantage while preventing any major scares, and never allowed Etcheverry to build enough momentum to get back into the contest. The Argentine tried to lengthen the rallies and play the match on his own terms, but the Frenchman always had the answer. Tommy had three break points at 4-3 down in the second set, but Fils managed to hold serve and close out the match in his next service game. 6-3, 6-4 in just one hour and twenty-nine minutes.<\/p>\n
This result extends Fils\u2019 winning streak to seven consecutive matches. Seven matches, seven wins, a title in Barcelona, and now the quarters in Madrid. A 7-0 run that reaffirms the fine form of a player who has been making a splash at the Masters 1000s this season, with a quarter-final in Indian Wells and a semi-final in Miami. Now he can add another appearance among the last eight to that list, this time on the clay of Madrid.<\/p>\n
Arthur will play his quarter-final against Czech Jiri Lehecka, who took out Italy\u2019s Lorenzo Musetti this afternoon. The Frenchman is brimming with confidence, although fatigue could prove to be his comeuppance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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