Sports · Tennis · 7 hrs ago
Fils's Brussels defeat gives Djokovic a boost in ATP Finals race
Jan-Lennard Struff beat Arthur Fils in a Brussels semi-final, winning in three sets after saving match points.
Fils, a 22-year-old French player, had been the top seed at the European Open and was favourite to reach the final.
The loss cost Fils a chance to extend his lead over other players chasing places at the ATP Finals, the season-ending tournament in Turin.
He remains seventh in the race with 3,575 points, while Novak Djokovic is 11th with 2,840, 319 points behind the last qualifying spot.
Djokovic benefits as rivals drop points, but he may need to win in Basel or at the Paris Masters, or make deep runs at both, to qualify.
Basel and Vienna are next opportunities for players to improve their standings, and the race could also be affected by results in other tournaments.
Arthur Fils lost to Jan-Lennard Struff in the Brussels semi-final, missing a chance to strengthen his position in the ATP Finals race.
The defeat gives Novak Djokovic, who is 11th in the race, a better chance of catching the players in the final qualifying places.
Fils is seventh with 3,575 points, while Rafael Jodar holds the last qualifying spot with 3,159.
Djokovic has 2,840 points and is 319 points behind Jodar.
Djokovic may need to win Basel or the Paris Masters, or make deep runs at both, to qualify.
- Who
- Arthur Fils lost to Jan-Lennard Struff, giving Novak Djokovic a boost in the ATP Finals race.
- What
- Fils was defeated in the Brussels semi-final, while Djokovic is trying to qualify for the season-ending ATP Finals.
- When
- Saturday evening.
- Where
- The European Open in Brussels.
- Why
- Fils’s defeat left him less able to extend his lead over rivals in the race, including Djokovic.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Fils beat Alex Michelsen in two tight sets.
Struff beat Fils 6-4, 6-7 (9), 7-6 (5) in the semi-final.
- Brussels semi-final
- Struff beat Fils 6-4, 6-7 (9), 7-6 (5)
- Fils's race position
- Seventh, with 3,575 points
- Djokovic's race position
- 11th, with 2,840 points
- Last qualifying place
- Rafael Jodar, with 3,159 points
- Djokovic's gap to Jodar
- 319 points
What people are saying
I want to thank the crowd for the support. It was an unreal match. I felt I played a very, very good first set, he won the second set which was very close. I managed to come back from a break down twice in the third set. I am just very happy to get the win.