Latest news with #Fils
The Age
05-07-2025
- Sport
- The Age
‘Excited' De Minaur locks in Wimbledon showdown with Djokovic
The anguished look on de Minaur's face after the Fils win, at a time when he should have been joyous, remains etched in onlookers' memory. 'It's funny how life works. Here we are a year later, and I'm going to get that match-up [but] a round earlier,' de Minaur said. 'But still, it was a brutal time for me last year, having to deal with all of those emotions. Here we are a year later; feeling good, ready to go, and I'm going to get my chance again, so I'm excited for that.' De Minaur soared to a career-best No.6 in the world despite not being able to play his Wimbledon quarter-final, but missed the next seven weeks – bar an Olympic doubles cameo with Alexei Popyrin – before reaching the US Open quarter-finals. He sat out for another six weeks trying to recover after that, and returned only to complete his goal of qualifying for the year-end tour finals, but was not the same player for the rest of the season. The Djokovic duel presents the chance for de Minaur, who is 12 years Djokovic's junior, to complete some unfinished business. 'I think there are definitely two versions of myself. Last year was a version of myself that was very confident and ready to kind of take on the world. I just got stopped in my tracks,' he said. 'I would say the version that I am right now is a lot wiser, and I've lived through a lot more experiences. I've played a lot more big matches. I think I'm more prepared mentally going into this next match. 'Whilst maybe my level last year was very high, and it was quite dangerous; I feel like this year, mentally, I'm in a really good place. I'm hoping that the game, the tennis, is going to come along.' Loading The Australian star dropped one set in the first three rounds and has largely impressed after admitting he was suffering from mental fatigue after his second-round exit at Roland-Garros to Alexander Bublik from two sets up. A first-up defeat to Jiri Lehecka at Queen's Club, where de Minaur has traditionally performed well, was also a shock result, but he has hit his stride with a friendly draw at SW19. Dominant victories over Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena and Frenchman Arthur Cazaux – after dropping the first set – advanced him to the third round, where he would have expected to take on Machac before Holmgren's heroics in his maiden grand slam draw. The average ranking of de Minaur's first three opponents was 127, so the Djokovic match-up will be a titanic step-up. But he will at least be comforted that Holmgren provided some resistance. De Minaur needed eight break points to finally assert his authority on the contest late in the first set after the Dane continually produced breathtaking hitting to dodge the trouble he found himself in on serve. There were several unreturned serves and others that drew short balls back that Holmgren flayed for winners off his forehand. He averaged 207km/h on his first serve and hit one at 226km/h, so de Minaur – the tour's top-rated returner – had his work cut out. De Minaur broke through when Holmgren crashed a forehand into the net to end an 18-point game, then served out the opening set with relative ease. The second set was headed the same way when de Minaur broke again in the ninth game, but Holmgren came roaring back to restrict him to 0-40 before breaking back on his fourth chance in the game. By then, the inspired Dane's confidence was soaring and his fearless hitting helped him force a tiebreaker, during which he threatened to level the match at a set-all. Everything could have been different if de Minaur's second serve at five-all in the tiebreak landed narrowly longer rather than collecting chalk as Holmgren misfired on return. The Australian apologised for his fortune, then watched as Holmgren double-faulted to gift him the set. Another Holmgren double-fault handed de Minaur a 4-2 edge in the third set, and he eventually booked his round-of-16 berth on his third match point with a third ace. Beaten Kasatkina off to Melbourne Kasatkina's straight-sets defeat to former Billie Jean King Cup teammate Samsonova will see her pack her bags for her new home city of Melbourne within the next few days. The 28-year-old, who gained permanent residency in Australia in March and was competing at her second major at Wimbledon for her adopted country, struggled to keep pace with the big-striking Samsonova, particularly on serve. Two loose service games sealed Kasatkina's first-set fate, and her day worsened when her shirt got caught on her earring and meant she could not contest her shot on the final point of the opening game of the second set. Samsonova broke for 2-0 then saved consecutive break-back points before rain intervened for the next two hours. Kasatkina snatched the first two points on resumption – the second after a wild Samsonova forehand – but every time she made an inroad, her Russian rival would reassert her authority. Loading 'I knew that it was going to be a very tough match because Liudmila is in great shape, winning a lot of matches, especially on grass,' Kasatkina said. 'Of course, I think I could do better on my side, but I also have to give her credit – she played a very, very good match.' Kasatkina will make a whirlwind trip to Melbourne to try and find a home, and continue her case to be an Australian citizen, which she needs to be before representing her new country in the BJK Cup. The world No.18 also needs ITF approval after already playing for, and winning the BJK Cup title with, Russia in 2021. She told this masthead before Wimbledon that there was an outside chance of her playing in Australia's BJK Cup tie in Hobart in November. 'In the next couple of days, I'm going to fly to Australia. I know that it's winter there, so it's the first time in my life I'm going to experience an Australian winter, not a summer,' she said. 'I'm going there for [only] a couple of days because the calendar is pretty tight. I need to become a citizen first [before playing BJK Cup for Australia], and after that, they can move forward. But before that, there is not much room for progress.'
Sydney Morning Herald
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Excited' De Minaur locks in Wimbledon showdown with Djokovic
The anguished look on de Minaur's face after the Fils win, at a time when he should have been joyous, remains etched in onlookers' memory. 'It's funny how life works. Here we are a year later, and I'm going to get that match-up [but] a round earlier,' de Minaur said. 'But still, it was a brutal time for me last year, having to deal with all of those emotions. Here we are a year later; feeling good, ready to go, and I'm going to get my chance again, so I'm excited for that.' De Minaur soared to a career-best No.6 in the world despite not being able to play his Wimbledon quarter-final, but missed the next seven weeks – bar an Olympic doubles cameo with Alexei Popyrin – before reaching the US Open quarter-finals. He sat out for another six weeks trying to recover after that, and returned only to complete his goal of qualifying for the year-end tour finals, but was not the same player for the rest of the season. The Djokovic duel presents the chance for de Minaur, who is 12 years Djokovic's junior, to complete some unfinished business. 'I think there are definitely two versions of myself. Last year was a version of myself that was very confident and ready to kind of take on the world. I just got stopped in my tracks,' he said. 'I would say the version that I am right now is a lot wiser, and I've lived through a lot more experiences. I've played a lot more big matches. I think I'm more prepared mentally going into this next match. 'Whilst maybe my level last year was very high, and it was quite dangerous; I feel like this year, mentally, I'm in a really good place. I'm hoping that the game, the tennis, is going to come along.' Loading The Australian star dropped one set in the first three rounds and has largely impressed after admitting he was suffering from mental fatigue after his second-round exit at Roland-Garros to Alexander Bublik from two sets up. A first-up defeat to Jiri Lehecka at Queen's Club, where de Minaur has traditionally performed well, was also a shock result, but he has hit his stride with a friendly draw at SW19. Dominant victories over Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena and Frenchman Arthur Cazaux – after dropping the first set – advanced him to the third round, where he would have expected to take on Machac before Holmgren's heroics in his maiden grand slam draw. The average ranking of de Minaur's first three opponents was 127, so the Djokovic match-up will be a titanic step-up. But he will at least be comforted that Holmgren provided some resistance. De Minaur needed eight break points to finally assert his authority on the contest late in the first set after the Dane continually produced breathtaking hitting to dodge the trouble he found himself in on serve. There were several unreturned serves and others that drew short balls back that Holmgren flayed for winners off his forehand. He averaged 207km/h on his first serve and hit one at 226km/h, so de Minaur – the tour's top-rated returner – had his work cut out. De Minaur broke through when Holmgren crashed a forehand into the net to end an 18-point game, then served out the opening set with relative ease. The second set was headed the same way when de Minaur broke again in the ninth game, but Holmgren came roaring back to restrict him to 0-40 before breaking back on his fourth chance in the game. By then, the inspired Dane's confidence was soaring and his fearless hitting helped him force a tiebreaker, during which he threatened to level the match at a set-all. Everything could have been different if de Minaur's second serve at five-all in the tiebreak landed narrowly longer rather than collecting chalk as Holmgren misfired on return. The Australian apologised for his fortune, then watched as Holmgren double-faulted to gift him the set. Another Holmgren double-fault handed de Minaur a 4-2 edge in the third set, and he eventually booked his round-of-16 berth on his third match point with a third ace. Beaten Kasatkina off to Melbourne Kasatkina's straight-sets defeat to former Billie Jean King Cup teammate Samsonova will see her pack her bags for her new home city of Melbourne within the next few days. The 28-year-old, who gained permanent residency in Australia in March and was competing at her second major at Wimbledon for her adopted country, struggled to keep pace with the big-striking Samsonova, particularly on serve. Two loose service games sealed Kasatkina's first-set fate, and her day worsened when her shirt got caught on her earring and meant she could not contest her shot on the final point of the opening game of the second set. Samsonova broke for 2-0 then saved consecutive break-back points before rain intervened for the next two hours. Kasatkina snatched the first two points on resumption – the second after a wild Samsonova forehand – but every time she made an inroad, her Russian rival would reassert her authority. Loading 'I knew that it was going to be a very tough match because Liudmila is in great shape, winning a lot of matches, especially on grass,' Kasatkina said. 'Of course, I think I could do better on my side, but I also have to give her credit – she played a very, very good match.' Kasatkina will make a whirlwind trip to Melbourne to try and find a home, and continue her case to be an Australian citizen, which she needs to be before representing her new country in the BJK Cup. The world No.18 also needs ITF approval after already playing for, and winning the BJK Cup title with, Russia in 2021. She told this masthead before Wimbledon that there was an outside chance of her playing in Australia's BJK Cup tie in Hobart in November. 'In the next couple of days, I'm going to fly to Australia. I know that it's winter there, so it's the first time in my life I'm going to experience an Australian winter, not a summer,' she said. 'I'm going there for [only] a couple of days because the calendar is pretty tight. I need to become a citizen first [before playing BJK Cup for Australia], and after that, they can move forward. But before that, there is not much room for progress.'
Daily Mirror
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Arthur Fils clear on Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic debate
The question of who is the greatest male tennis player of all time is a hot topic, and while Novak Djokovic is out in front in terms of Grand Slam titles, Arthur Fils sides differently Arthur Fils has firmly planted his flag in the ongoing debate over who reigns supreme among tennis legends Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. The trio, often referred to as the sport's 'big three', have been at the pinnacle of men's tennis for nearly two decades, with only Djokovic, aged 37, still competing at the highest level. Federer hung up his racket in 2022 with a tally of 20 Grand Slam titles. Meanwhile, Nadal retired at the end of last year with 22 Grand Slams under his belt after grappling with injuries. Djokovic leads the pack with 24 Grand Slam victories, yet this doesn't settle the debate on who is the greatest. World No. 14 Fils has declared that, in his view, the suave Swiss maestro Federer is the top male player of their time. Sidelined from the French Open due to a back injury, Fils was quizzed by Prime Video Sport France to rank players: Question: Roger or Rafa? Answer: "Roger. I love Roger." Fils had to bow out of the competition following an exhilarating five-set win against Jaume Munar in the second round, explaining: "I had some issue with the back since a long time and during the match against Munar it [got] worse. "[I] got some stress fracture. What we decide with the team it was better to stop now, because if I'm stopping now, I could stop for only four to six weeks. "If I was pushing myself too much, I would probably stop for a couple of months. This is not what we are trying to do, so [we] had to make a choice." As for Djokovic, the Serbian ace is in prime position to clinch his 25th Grand Slam title after he dispatched British hopeful Cameron Norrie in straight sets during the fourth round at Roland Garros, marking his 100th career victory at the French Open, reports the Express. "Considering my opponent's form and the occasion, I think it was a very good match from my side, a very solid performance," Djokovic said. "A straight-sets win again. I'm pleased with the way things are going. Obviously matches only get tougher. I look forward to the next challenge." In the quarter-finals, Djokovic is set to take on German third seed Alexander Zverev, who progressed after Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands had to retire due to injury in the second set of their match.
NBC Sports
31-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Arthur Fils, France's last man in French Open field, has stress fracture in back
PARIS — Arthur Fils pulled out of the French Open because of a stress fracture in his lower back and could miss Wimbledon while sidelined for at least a month, he explained at a news conference Saturday. The 14th-seeded Fils, who had been the last man from France in the bracket, announced his withdrawal on Friday without offering details then about the extent of his injury. 'We decided with the team it was better to stop now, because if I'm stopping now, I could stop for only four to six weeks,' the 20-year-old Fils said Saturday. 'If I was pushing myself too much, I would probably stop for a couple of months. ... Had to make a choice.' With Fils out, No. 17 Andrey Rublev received a walkover into the fourth round. Fils had been dealing with back pain for a while, and things got worse during his five-set victory over Jaume Munar on Thursday. 'I gave everything. I couldn't go for more,' Fils said Saturday. 'At the end of the second set, I could feel that the back was not good at all.' He said he doesn't think he needs surgery. Fils knows he'll need to sit out some tournaments but said he wants to try to be able to compete at Wimbledon, the next Grand Slam tournament, which begins on June 30.
San Francisco Chronicle
31-05-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
French Open: Arthur Fils has a stress fracture in his back. He was France's last man in the field
PARIS (AP) — Arthur Fils pulled out of the French Open because of a stress fracture in his lower back and could miss Wimbledon while sidelined for at least a month, he explained at a news conference Saturday. The 14th-seeded Fils, who had been the last man from France in the bracket, announced his withdrawal on Friday without offering details then about the extent of his injury. 'We decided with the team it was better to stop now, because if I'm stopping now, I could stop for only four to six weeks," the 20-year-old Fils said Saturday. "If I was pushing myself too much, I would probably stop for a couple of months. ... Had to make a choice.' With Fils out, No. 17 Andrey Rublev received a walkover into the fourth round. Fils had been dealing with back pain for a while, and things got worse during his five-set victory over Jaume Munar on Thursday. 'I gave everything. I couldn't go for more,' Fils said Saturday. 'At the end of the second set, I could feel that the back was not good at all.' He said he doesn't think he needs surgery. ___
