The 21-year-old is coming off capturing an ATP 500 title in Barcelona, capping that run off with wins over Lorenzo Musetti, Rafael Jodar and Andrey Rublev. Following his latest victory, Fils has now gone 19-5 this season since returning from a lengthy back injury.
“When you feel good like this, especially on clay, it’s tough to beat me,” said Fils when discussing his potential when locked in on the court.
On the subject of striking the right balance of staying calm versus expressing his emotions, Fils noted, “In Barcelona, I found it pretty good. And it helped me. Today, I lost a big more. I dig deep a bit more. You gotta do what you gotta do to win.”
The No. 21 seed meets American Emilio Nava for a place in the round of 16. Fils is the highest-ranked player left in the Ben Shelton-led quarter of the draw, as the world No. 6 was ousted by Dino Prizmic Friday.
