Fils Shines While Müller Falls in Rome Masters

Rome, Italy – French tennis player Arthur Fils impressed on Friday in his debut at the Rome Masters 1000. He defeated Dutch player Tallon Griekspoor 6-2, 6-2 at the beautiful Pietrangeli court. Fils, ranked No. 1 in France, quickly returned to training after the match.

“I didn’t stay on the court for very long today,” Fils said post-match. “I felt I didn’t serve well enough in the first set, so we worked on a lot of serves and hit some balls.” Fils seemed refreshed after his early exit in Madrid, where he appeared physically and mentally drained. Aside from a brief scare on his serve at the start of the match, he controlled the game. “I needed a little break, it really helped me, I feel fresh now,” he added.

In the next round, Fils will face a formidable opponent, Stefanos Tsitsipas, the 2022 finalist at Foro Italico. Tsitsipas, despite dropping to 19th in the world rankings, was dominant against Frenchman Alexandre Müller, winning 6-2, 7-6 (7-3). Müller, who claimed his first career title in Hong Kong in December, expressed disappointment after falling short in the match.

“I broke first in the second set and my level was getting better, it’s a shame not to bring it to a third set,” Müller said. “It’s tough to win against players like that with a score of 6-2, 6-2, especially in tie-breaks where I struggled today.” Müller acknowledged that he needs to keep improving his game.

The French contingent dwindles down to two representatives: Fils and Corentin Moutet. Moutet reached the third round after his fellow countryman Ugo Humbert withdrew, trailing 6-3, 4-0 due to a right-hand injury. “My backhand is struggling a bit, and everything’s sort of degrading,” Moutet said about his performance. He will face 10th ranked Holger Rune next, who barely defeated Argentinian Francisco Comesana 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

The Italian crowd expects the return of world No. 1 Jannik Sinner on Saturday after a three-month doping suspension. Sinner’s return match against Argentinian Mariano Navone was well received, with Sinner winning 6-3, 6-4 amidst cheers from the 10,800 fans present. “I have waited so long to play again, it’s amazing,” Sinner said following his victory.

Next, Sinner will meet Dutch player Jesper de Jong, who advanced after eliminating Alejandro Davidovich. The suspension was the result of an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency due to two positive tests attributed to accidental contamination. The agreement raised some eyebrows in the tennis community regarding preferential treatment. Sinner mentioned he was not pleased with the agreement initially but recognized its necessity.

Despite his absence, Sinner maintained the No. 1 ATP ranking while competitors like Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz struggled with injuries. Sinner is focused on Roland Garros, stating, “My goal is Roland Garros, I’m here to see where I stand, not to beat everyone.” He has not lost a match since October.