One break, thirteen chances
Arthur Fils beat Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 7-6 (5), 7-5 in 1 hour 45 minutes at the Basel ATP 500 on Tuesday afternoon. The eighth-ranked Frenchman needed 13 break points to land a single break, and that one arrived in the second-to-last game of the match.
The gap in the rankings suggested a comfortable day. Fils sits 8th, while Mpetshi Perricard is 148th. The scoreboard said something different.
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A serve that would not budge
Mpetshi Perricard hit 21 aces and saved the first 12 break points he faced, including six that would have given Fils the opening set. It was the kind of display that recalls his run to the Basel title in 2024, not the slide that dropped him out of the top 100 after months of poor results. He is only just back on the winning track, after a first win since June last week.
Fils never lost his patience. He took the opening-set tie-break, then finally got through on his 13th chance, with a crosscourt forehand passing shot.
Points for Turin, and Michelsen next
The win is worth 50 ranking points in a season where Fils is pushing for a place at the Turin finals. He plays American Alex Michelsen, ranked 34th, in the second round on Thursday. Fils beat Michelsen only days ago in Brussels.
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