Fils finds a way against Tiafoe in Miami epic

Arthur Fils got the better of Frances Tiafoe in an epic clash to make the fourth round of the Miami Masters, winning 7-6 (11), 5-7, 6-2 at the Hard Rock Stadium on Monday.

It was a clash of dramatic momentum swings between the No 16 and No 17 seeds, with Fils missing out on two match points in the second set and coming from a break down in the third to make his second consecutive round-of-16 appearance in Masters 1000 events.

“It means a lot, for sure,” the Frenchman said afterwards. “It’s the first time in the Masters that I’m reaching the fourth round twice back to back.

“In Indian Wells it was very good, and I was thinking this week it’s going to be tough. I was very focused to play the first round against (Gabriel) Diallo, he got injured, sorry about it. Then today, I found a way, and okay, I am in the fourth round, going to play against the first seed, let’s see how it’s going.”

Tiafoe squanders set points

Tiafoe began the match the better of the two, moving out to a 5-3 lead after breaking in the eighth game.

However, the American could not serve out the set, foregoing a set point as Fils broke back then held to force a tiebreak. The breaker was a foreshadowing of what was to come in the match – more ups and downs than a seesaw in the school holidays.

Tiafoe raced out to a 6-3 lead, but squandered three straight set points as Fils drew back to 6-6. The No 16 seed – yet to win back-to-back matches in 2025 – generated another set point but was again unable to capitalise.

The tiebreak would last an incredible 24 points, with Fils claiming it 13-11 to go a set up.

Fils misses out on match points in second

In the second, momentum was firmly with Fils. The Frenchman was full of confidence, nailing his shots and holding serve with ease.

Tiafoe, on the other hand, was barely hanging on. Almost twice as many points were played on his serve and Fils’, with games routinely lasting three to four minutes longer.

Somehow, the American managed to keep holding serve, but still had to defend against two match points in the 10th game. One was a botched volley by Fils, the other an unlikely backhand passing shot by Tiafoe.

Having got out of jail, Tiafoe came alive, winning 10 of the next 12 points to break his opponent and close out the second set 7-5.

Fils defies momentum, cramps to close out match

Early in the deciding set, Fils began struggling physically, receiving a medical timeout for cramps.

Tiafoe rode his momentum from the end of the second set into an early break, going up 2-1 and looking the more likely of the two to close out the match.

That is, until Fils reeled off five straight games with some break-taking, back-against-the-wall tennis to race into the fourth round.

“When I get into the third set I was cramping, I couldn’t find the rhythm,” Fils explained. “My serve was tough, I couldn’t jump.

“I tried to relax and play as fast as I could and hit as strong as I could. Sometimes, it works. It’s not going to work every day, that’s for sure. Maybe once or twice out of 10.

“Today it worked, and I’m very happy it worked. Frances is a hell of a champion. Since the first time we are playing. I hope we are going to have many more great battles.”

Fils, ranked No 18, will play German Alexander Zverev, the top seed, next.

In the previous round of the Miami Open, the 20-year-old Frenchman benefited from the abandonment of Canadian lucky loser Gabriel Diallo (6-4, 2-3).

Tiafoe, ranked No 17, beat Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (7-5, 7-6 (5)) in the previous round of the Miami Open.

Miami Masters 1000, other third-round results (Hard Rock Stadium, hard, USD 9.193.540, most recent results first):

• Alex De Minaur vs. Joao Fonseca
• Matteo Berrettini vs. Zizou Bergs
• Jakub Mensik beat Roman Safiullin: 6-4, 6-4
• Taylor Fritz (3) beat Denis Shapovalov (27): 7-5, 6-3
• Alexander Zverev beat Jordan Thompson: 7-5, 6-4
• Adam Walton (LL) beat Chak Lam Coleman Wong (WC): 7-6 (6), 4-6, 6-4
• Tomas Machac (20) beat Reilly Opelka: 7-6 (1), 6-3
• Francisco Cerundolo (23) beat Tommy Paul (12): 6-2, 7-6 (4)
• Casper Ruud (5) beat Alejandro Tabilo (30): 6-4, 7-6 (4)
• Gael Monfils beat Jaume Munar: 7-5, 5-7, 7-6 (1)
• Brandon Nakashima (31) beat David Goffin: 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-3
• Novak Djokovic (4) beat Camilo Ugo Carabelli (LL): 6-1, 7-6 (1)
• Sebastian Korda (24) beat Stefanos Tsitsipas (9): 7-6 (4), 6-3
• Lorenzo Musetti (15) beat Felix Auger-Aliassime (18): 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
• Grigor Dimitrov (14) beat Karen Khachanov (22): 6-7 (3), 6-4, 7-5