All the way, Arthur!

The Frenchman still has one more winnable match where he’s the favorite, but his legs are starting to feel heavy...

This is the number one concern to have in this match on Fils’ side in my opinion. Against Paul he fought another epic battle and even cramped in the last set. Sure, he gets a day of rest, but in a 10‑day Masters 1000 the fatigue builds up and the tournament is so long that one day might not be enough, that’s what worries me. On top of that, we know how Fils gets when he’s tired: his attitude swings to the negative side and he starts forcing his game, doing anything just to shorten rallies. If it starts off like that quickly, it’ll have to be taken very seriously. The other scenario is the one where the Frenchman has recovered enough and is still going all‑out for this semi! What impresses me is his attitude and mindset; his level is crazy but it’s in his head that he makes a huge difference. Against Paul his returning wasn’t exceptional but he accepted it and kept fighting. He’s facing Lehecka again in a very open semi‑final that also feels like a revenge match after their meeting in Doha a few weeks ago.

That match was won fairly easily by Fils, but in tricky conditions for Lehecka: high bounce, slow courts, and wind. Everything the Czech hates, and that’s not the case at all in Miami, where we’re seeing him at his best. It’s been a boss‑like week with only deserved wins, no steals or favorable scripts, he’s just dominated. Against Landaluce the scoreline is tight but within the match he lacks a bit of ruthlessness and could have won 6–4 6–3 as well. His serve is seriously strong and he resists well before countering. His net play keeps helping him a lot, which is not usually his strong suit, but this week he’s confident in that part of his game.

I think Fils is built for this kind of match against a profile like Lehecka’s when he’s at 100% physically and when conditions are a bit slower. When I see how tight the match was against Paul yesterday, I tell myself that Lehecka can absolutely go take those tiebreaks too, and in that case the Czech could pull through thanks to his physical and mental freshness. The variable in this match is Fils...