Arthur Fils claimed his first title of the season by beating Andrey Rublev 6-2, 7-6 in the Barcelona Open final on the Pista Rafa Nadal. The 21-year-old Frenchman secured his fourth ATP title overall after returning from an eight-month injury layoff. Rublev praised Fils' level in his post-match speech.
Arthur Fils overcame a tense second set to defeat Andrey Rublev 6-2, 7-6( something ) in the final of the Barcelona Open. Fils took the first set comfortably but led 5-3 in the second before Rublev broke back twice, forcing a tiebreak. The Frenchman then won seven straight points to seal the victory after an hour and a half of pressure-filled tennis in the closing games. This marks Fils' first trophy since a back injury sidelined him for eight months following last year's French Open. He had earlier fought back from a set down against Terence Atmane in the round of 32, then beat Brandon Nakashima and Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets before a comeback semifinal win over Rafael Jodar 6-3, 6-2 after losing the first set 3-6. Rublev, who dropped just one set en route to the final, admitted in his runner-up speech that Fils' form was superior. 'Big congrats to Arthur, to your team, to your family. The way that you are playing is ridiculous,' Rublev said. 'You’re practicing every day, and I am not on that level. I’m really happy for you.' This was Rublev's first final since losing to Flavio Cobolli in Hamburg last year; he had reached semifinals in Qatar and Dubai this season. Fils reflected on the mental challenges: 'The end of the second set was just about the mental [pressure]. ... I’m very happy with the way I played the tie-break.' Both players head to the Madrid Open starting April 22.
