Preview and Prediction
“Sascha, we know each other very good,” Fils says.
It’s true. Fils is just 21, but these two have already played six times. Zverev won the first two, and they’ve split the last four evenly. In Miami last year, the Frenchman edged the German 6-4 in the third.
But this is their first meeting of 2026, and each will bring something new to it. Zverev, traditionally risk-averse, has made a commitment to be more aggressive, even if it leads to some defeats. Fils, meanwhile, has shortened his forehand backswing. He says he’s willing to sacrifice power for a quicker stroke.
“In my case, it’s OK,” Fils says. “I can still hit the ball pretty hard.”
So far, so good. On Tuesday he powered his way back from 0-5 down in the second-set tiebreaker to beat ninth-ranked Felix Auger Aliassime.
Is he ready to conquer the fourth-ranked Zverev now? Fils may be able to pummel his way through a set, but I think Zverev, who seems to be in a good place, will find a way to blunt his heavy pace—even if it means going back to his un-aggressive ways. Winner: Zverev
