Andrey Rublev and Arthur Fils will face off in the French Open third round on Saturday in what promises to be a mouthwatering contest.
While Rublev has advanced relatively comfortably in the first two rounds, the Frenchman overcame Jaume Munar's comeback attempt and a back injury to secure an epic five-set triumph on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
Match preview
© Imago
After a disappointing first-round defeat to Joao Fonseca at the Australian Open in January, Rublev has improved his performance in Paris with victories over Lloyd Harris and Adam Walton.
Having dropped a set two days prior, the world No. 15 displayed tight tennis in two tiebreaks on Thursday, clinching a 7-6(1), 6-1, 7-6(5) victory against the unseeded Australian player.
Entering the third round at Roland Garros for the fourth consecutive year, the 2022 quarter-finalist aims to avoid another round-three elimination after losing at the same stage to Lorenzo Sonego in 2023 and Matteo Arnaldi a year ago.
Rublev's latest win on the clay in Paris marked his 14th career victory at the French Open, and the 17-time ATP champion could improve his 14-6 record to reach the fourth round at the event for only the third time after 2020 and 2022.
After failing to build on his Doha title, the 27-year-old encountered disappointments on the clay courts in Barcelona, Madrid and Rome, making his prospects in Paris appear bleak.
However, a run to the final in Hamburg before beginning his seventh French Open appearance seems to have revitalised the Russian, who aims to outlast a player seven years his junior on Saturday.
© Iconsport
Defeating Fils will not be straightforward, given the Frenchman's growing momentum on home soil following a titanic match with Munar.
After taking the first two sets against the Spaniard, the 20-year-old showman lost his form in the third and fourth sets, suffering a back issue that threatened to derail his chances of reaching his first French Open third round.
Nevertheless, the effervescent youngster, supported by a raucous Suzanne Lenglen crowd, found a second wind to seal a 7-6(3), 7-6(4), 2-6, 0-6, 6-4 triumph after four hours and 25 minutes.
Fils must improve his serve if he is to eliminate his upcoming opponent on Saturday, having been broken by Munar nine times on Thursday after saving all three break points against Nicolas Jarry in the opening round.
Regardless, the young showman, who had not won a match in his home Slam in two attempts before this year, has built on promising runs to the Monte Carlo quarter-finals, Barcelona semis and last 16 in Rome, to reach consecutive third rounds at the Majors this year.
Another top performance could secure one more win to match his last year's Wimbledon run — his finest performance at a Grand Slam — and set up a round-four matchup with Jannik Sinner or Jiri Lehecka.
Tournament so far
Andrey Rublev:
First round: vs. Lloyd Harris 6-4 4-6 6-3 6-1
Second round: vs. Adam Walton 7-6[1] 6-1 7-6[5]
Arthur Fils:
First round: vs. Nicolas Jarry 6-3 6-4 6-7[6] 6-3
Second round: vs. Jaume Munar 7-6[3] 7-6[4] 2-6 0-6 6-4
Head To Head
Monte Carlo Masters (2025) - Round of 16: Fils 6-2 6-3
Hong Kong (2024) - Quarter-final: Rublev 6-4 1-6 6-2
Fils and Rublev face off for the third time on the ATP Tour after splitting both meetings in Hong Kong and Monte Carlo.
The youngster's recent victory over the Russian on the Monte Carlo clay should provide an advantage to the 20-year-old in Saturday's encounter.
Starting from Indian Wells, Fils enters this weekend's matchup with a 12-2 win-loss record against opponents outside the top 10, losing only to Jakub Mensik in Miami and Francisco Comesana in Madrid before facing the world No. 15 in Paris.
We say: Fils to win in four sets
Although the outcome on Saturday will depend on whether Fils's back issues do not flare up before or during the third-round matchup with Rublev, having a day off to recuperate should be beneficial for the Frenchman, whose run on home soil should continue at the expense of the Russian star.
