Tennis: Fils beats Zverev in tense ATP 500 Hamburg final

Arthur Fils defeated Alexander Zverev in the final of the ATP 500 event in Hamburg on Sunday (CEST), claiming the biggest title of his fledgling career so far with a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(1) victory over the world No.4.

The 20-year-old Frenchman was a $3.30 underdog with BetOnline to claim the title, having never won a tournament at ATP 500 level before.

However, he played fearless tennis against defending champion Zverev, edging the home favourite in a third-set tiebreaker.

“I knew from the start it wouldn’t be easy,” Fils said of his victory on Sunday.

“First set I was taking care of it. I had a bit of luck but playing great.

“In the second set he played better than me and raised his level.

“When they closed the roof, I knew it would be a dog fight. I just had to fight until the last ball.

“I’ve been practising for a long time for these kind of moments.”

Fiery encounter sees icy handshake

If the No.28-ranked Fils defeating Zverev in his home tournament was not remarkable enough, the Frenchman defended an incredible 21 of 22 break points across the match.

On one of these occasions, Fils served an underarm serve at 5-5, 30-40 in the third set.

The serve missed but drew the ire of Zverev, who remained salty for the duration of the clash.

Fils responded with attitude of his own, needling the crowd by gesturing to his ear for applause after he won the point on his second serve.

The 20-year-old also had words for Zverev at the change of ends, with the umpire ushering him away from the German’s chair between games.

It was Fils who had the last laugh, however, winning the deciding tiebreaker for the loss of just one point.

This led to one of the iciest handshakes possible after the match.

Zverev barely made eye contact, turning his body away from Fils and muttering to himself while briefly tapping hands with the new Hamburg champion.

Afterwards, the pair appeared to have smoothed over their differences.

Zverev sprayed Fils with champagne, while the Frenchman had some kind words for his opponent.

“Sascha is such a great champion,” said Fils.

“He’s an unbelievable champion playing unbelievable tennis, making the final of the French Open.”

Fils will now enter the world’s top 20 for the first time in his career, while Zverev remains at $6 with tennis bookmakers to win gold at the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.

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