Jannik Sinner, next rival in Madrid semifinal is Arthur Fils

In the second quarterfinal of the Madrid ATP tournament, the second Masters 1000 of the season on clay, Arthur Fils (number 21 seed and fresh champion in Barcelona) overcame Czech Jiri Lehecka, the eleventh seeded force, with a clear 6-3 6-4 in one hour and fifteen minutes. The Frenchman thus extends his winning streak and clinches the semifinals, where on Friday he will face Jannik Sinner, who emerged victorious from his only previous match (7-5, 6-2 in the semifinals of Montpellier 2023).

Fils starts off immediately with great intensity. After rising from 15-30 in the opening game, he holds serve and takes a 1-0 lead. In the next game he makes the most of a recovery on a short ball to immediately snatch the serve from Lehecka and go up 2-0. The Frenchman then consolidated the lead to 3-0, while the Czech managed to break the breakaway by shortening it to 3-1 with a close net. Fils, however, remains solid, relies steadily on his first serve, climbs from 0-30 and finally takes control of the set, flying to 5-2. On the final 6-3, a backhand pass that induces the opponent to error is decisive.

In the second partial, Lehecka tries to stay hooked on the match and opens the set by holding serve thanks to a good service-volley combination. Fils immediately retaliates for 1-1, taking advantage of an oversized forehand by the Czech. The balance holds until the seventh game, with both players solid on their respective serves and only one game closed on the advantages.

It is there that the Frenchman places the decisive extension, causing Lehecka’s error at the net and winning the break for 4-3. With new balls Fils immediately consolidated the lead to 5-3 and, in the tenth game, closed the score on the first match point thanks to a winning cross-court backhand that made the final 6-4.