Top seed Arthur Fils is showing why he's the favorite at the 2023 Next Gen ATP Finals as he advanced to the final of the competition after beating compatriot Luca Van Assche in four sets.
Both Fils and Van Assche have played on the ATP Tour this year with decent success. While the latter finished just outside of the Top 50, Fils actually finished in the Top 50 with some really solid performances, especially indoors.
This event is actually played indoors, so it's no wonder he's been so good this week. The talent Fils possesses is amazing, which is why he was invited to the Laver Cup as well.
As the top seed at the 2023 Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah, Fils was expected to make a deep run, and he's doing it. After cruising through the group, the Frenchman faced Van Assche in the semi-final and bested him pretty soundly.
The conditions in Jeddah are a bit slower compared to Milan, though that didn't bother Fils. He has a good serve and a really powerful forehand that can do wonders indoors.
Van Assche is not so aggressive from the baseline, though he tends to have multiple tricks in his bag to counter that. The raw power proved decisive as Fils was able to establish control of the match despite losing the opening set.
He was a bit erratic at first, but once he settled into a nice rhythm, things went his way comfortably. He dominated on his first serve, dropping only a handful of points, and did enough in the rallies as his power proved crucial.
He finished the match with three more aces and five more winners to advance to the final, where he'll face either Hamad Medjedovic or Dominic Stricker. The final score in this one was 2-4 4-1 4-3(1) 4-3(6).