Fils Dominates Griekspoor for the Second Time This Season and Advances to the Third Round in Rome

Arthur Fils is out for revenge. Despite a solid start to the season, the Frenchman hit a stumbling block in Madrid recently, falling in his opening match to Francisco Comesaña despite a strong lead in the first set (7-6, 6-4).

Now competing in Rome—the tournament where he claimed his first Masters 1000 win two years ago—the world No. 14 faced Tallon Griekspoor in the second round.
The two had clashed at the Monte-Carlo Masters just a few weeks earlier, with Fils emerging victorious (6-7, 6-4, 6-2).

This time, the dynamic was different, and Fils didn’t need to dig deep to secure his spot. Facing an opponent who has had a very consistent start to the season (highlighted by a semifinal in Dubai and a quarterfinal in Indian Wells), Fils wasted no time and wrapped up the match in just over an hour (6-2, 6-2 in 1h07).

Fils saved the only break point he faced and capitalized on his opponent’s serve. With 18 winners and 15 unforced errors, the 20-year-old advances to the third round, where he will face the winner of the match between Stefanos Tsitsipas (whom he leads 3-0 in their head-to-head) and his compatriot Alexandre Muller (whom he has never beaten in two meetings).