Ugo Humbert and Arthur Fils will compete in an all-French final at the Japan Open following their hard-fought victories in the semifinals on Monday. Humbert, who boasts an undefeated record in his six ATP finals, faced off against the Czech Republic's Tomas Machac, winning the match with scores of 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. This victory sets up a showdown between him and his Paris Olympics doubles partner, Fils, who also had a challenging path to the final.
Fils advanced by defeating Denmark's sixth seed, Holger Rune, in a tightly contested match that ended in two tiebreaks, with scores of 7-6 (10/8) and 7-6 (12/10). The upcoming match marks the first all-French final on the ATP tour in four years, and Fils expressed excitement about the matchup, stating, "I think it's super-nice. I think it's been a long time that we didn't have any French final." He emphasized the importance of enjoying the moment and anticipated a great match against Humbert.
Fils faced a tough quarterfinal against defending champion Ben Shelton, but he demonstrated resilience once again against Rune. After taking the first set in a tiebreak, Rune's frustration boiled over, leading him to smash his racquet. Despite being broken early in the second set, Rune regrouped and pushed Fils to another tiebreak, where Fils finally secured victory after converting his sixth match point. Reflecting on the match, Fils said, "In the second set I got the break very early and then we played some crazy tennis."
Humbert, ranked 19th in the world, is keen to maintain his perfect record in finals after already clinching titles in Dubai and Marseille this year. He remarked on the significance of finals, stating, "When you're in the final it's sad to lose the last match... I always say, you don't have to play a final, you have to win it." After establishing a strong lead against Machac, Humbert overcame a second-set loss and secured a decisive break in the third set. He acknowledged the challenge of facing Fils, noting their friendship but emphasizing the competitive nature of the upcoming final, saying, "It's going to be a great final for French tennis."
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