Tokyo, October 4 (Daily Kiran) : Valentin Vacherot continued his impressive run at the Japan Open Tennis Championship in Tokyo, defeating former champion Arthur Fils 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 on Sunday. This victory secured Vacherot a place in the semifinals.
The Monaco-based player battled for 2 hours and 20 minutes in yet another three-set match. Earlier in the week, he showcased remarkable resilience by coming back from a set and a break down to defeat Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round.
Against Fils, Vacherot refused to let challenging moments dictate the match’s outcome. After trailing with a break in the first set, he won four consecutive games to take control. He repeated this feat in the third set, overcoming another deficit.
A pivotal moment occurred when Fils was serving at 4-5 in the final set. Vacherot adopted an aggressive strategy, hitting two consecutive return winners and engaging Fils in lengthy rallies. Ultimately, he secured the crucial break he needed to clinch the match.
With this win, Vacherot has reached his third ATP Tour semifinal, continuing a remarkable comeback that began during last year’s Asian hard-court swing. Next week, he will aim to defend his title in Shanghai, where he needs to protect 1,000 ranking points. His strong performance in Tokyo has propelled him up four spots in the ATP live rankings to 14th, as he strives for a place in the top 10 for the first time.
Meanwhile, Fils’s hopes of securing a spot in the Nitto ATP Finals have taken a hit. The 22-year-old currently sits seventh in the ATP “Race to Turin,” but Daniil Medvedev and Alex de Minaur, who are in eighth and ninth place, respectively, remain in contention and could close the gap in Beijing.
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