Fils, new French number 1: "I am young, I have things to gain"

Arthur Fils defeated Lorenzo Musetti this Sunday at Indian Wells. Thanks to this victory and Ugo Humbert's loss, Fils becomes the new French number 1.

In comments relayed by L'Équipe, he reflected on his match: "It didn't start very well, a bit like in Monaco. He started very strong, and I was a bit slow. I couldn't find many solutions. After that, you have to manage to fight back. In the first set, I managed to break back, so I immediately felt a bit better. The second set was a close battle, but I managed to pull through, and in the third set, I felt a bit better, fresh, with better sensations, so it was cool. I had no choice, I had to go for it, the winner recounted. That's what Ivan (Cinkus, his coach) and I told each other, I am young, I have things to gain, I have to go after them, not play defensively. So I'm happy to have saved it in that way, with the right intention, which is the most important."

Fils will face Marcos Giron for a spot in the quarterfinals.