Hamburg Open 2024: Fils beats defending champion Zverev in marathon battle, clinches biggest title of career

Arthur Fils stunned defending champion Alexander Zverev in a three-set battle to win Hamburg Open, an ATP 500 event, on Sunday.

Fils, the fifth-seeded Frenchman, beat top seed Zverev 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(1) in the summit clash which lasted three hours and 33 minutes. He had lost his previous two matches against the German, including last year’s semifinal at the same tournament.

The 20-year-old Fils clinched the second and biggest title of his career. He won his maiden title at the ATP 250 event in Lyon last year.

With this victory, Fils is set to make his Top 20 debut in the ATP Rankings.

Fils pounced on a slow start by the big-serving Zverev to capitalise on a double fault and break the German in his very first service game.

He was severely tested in his third service game but managed to hold the Hamburg native at bay, before Zverev required treatment as play stopped midway through the next game at 40-40 with the German trailing 1-4.

He recovered to win the game but the damage was already done in the first set with Fils hanging on to serve out despite facing a total of nine break points in the set.

French Open runner-up Zverev bounced back to clinch the second set to take the match to a decider.

The third set became a battle of attrition as both players held serve as it rumbled inevitably towards a tiebreak. Fils raced to a 5-0 lead before Zverev opened his account.

Fils set up the championship point with a backhand winner down the line, which he converted as Zverev netted a return.

(With inputs from AFP)