(Video) Furious Arthur Fils destroys racket during tense Miami Open clash with Frances Tiafoe

Arthur Fils has scripted history by reaching the fourth round of both the Indian Wells and Miami Open this year.

(Video) Furious Arthur Fils destroys racket during tense Miami Open clash with Frances Tiafoe

Arthur Fils smashed his racket during Miami Open third round against Frances Tiafoe (Image via X/Univers Tennis, Tennis Channel, The Tennis Letter)

Arthur Fils couldn’t convert two set points and his anger knew no bounds. He was up against Frances Tiafoe in the Miami Open third round on Monday (March 24) and registered a thrilling 7-6(11), 5-7, 6-2 win.

In the first set, Fils saved six set points before eventually winning it through the tie-breaker. The second set was no different.

YouTube video

Fils had the chance to end the match before two hours and 55 minutes as he had two match points at 5-4, but as he failed to convert them and the match was pushed to the decider, frustrations got the better of him. He vented out his anger by slamming his racket multiple times before destroying it.

Watch the video here:

Tiafoe tried to capitalize on his win, but by that time, Fils had changed his tactics and he only aimed for winners and this helped him restrict Tiafoe to just two games in the third set. The home favorite too lost his cool when he was defeated in the seventh game of the third set with ease and he let out his anger by destroying his racket.

Tiafoe last won two back-to-back matches at an event at the 2024 US Open. Since then, the 27-year-old surprisingly failed to win three matches in a row and his poor run of forms continued in Miami.

After ending his Indian Wells campaign with a straight-set defeat to Yosuke Watanuki in the third round, Tiafoe knocked out Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to start his campaign in Miami. He is now 0-1 against Fils in the head-to-head meetings.

Arthur Fils was cramping during his match against Frances Tiafoe

Arthur Fils had a day to remember as he did the difficult work of eking out a win despite cramping. It worked for him, but he said he is not sure whether he would be able to pull off victories while suffering from pain again and again.

Arthur Fils
Arthur Fils (Image via X/The Tennis Letter)

It was very tough. When I got into the third set, I was cramping and I couldn’t find the rhythm anymore. My serve was tough and I couldn’t jump, so I tried to relax and play as fast as I could and hit as strong as I could. Somehow it worked.

Arthur Fils said during his on-court interview

With this win, he has become the first Frenchman to progress to the fourth round of both Indian Wells and Miami Open in the same season since Jeremy Chardy in 2018. He has also made it to the fourth round for the third time in his three recent ATP Masters 1000 appearances.

It means a lot for sure. It’s the first time at the Masters that I’ve reached the fourth round twice [in a year]. In Indian Wells, it was very good, and I was thinking that this week was going to be tough.

Arthur Fils added

Arthur Fils to lock horns with Alexander Zverev

Fils now has a difficult match ahead of him as he has scheduled a fourth-round clash with Alexander Zverev. The World No.2 knocked out Australia’s Jordon Thompson in straight sets to progress to the last 16.

Alexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev (Image via X/The Tennis Letter)

Zverev has locked horns with Fils four times and leads 3-1 in their head-to-head meetings. The only time Fils came out on top was in the 2024 Hamburg Open final. They were last pitted against each other in the last 16 of the 2024 Paris Masters which the German won before reaching the final and lifting the title.

Zverev hasn’t yet won a title since that victory. He came close to his first Grand Slam trophy at this year’s Australian Open, but World No.1 Jannik Sinner played better tennis to breeze past him and defend his crown.