US Open: Arthur Fils crashes out in first round against Stefanos Tsitsipas

Arthur Fils arrived in New York as a serious outsider after winning the Cincinnati Masters 1000. He left the US Open immediately, beaten by Stefanos Tsitsipas in a match that changed direction after the Frenchman moved within reach of a two-set lead.

Fils won the opening set 6-4 and led 5-2 in the second. He had also broken Tsitsipas at 5-4 in the first set and extended his lead to 3-0, 4-1 and 5-2 in the next. But when Fils served for a two-set advantage, Tsitsipas broke back at 5-3 and took the set in a tiebreak.

The Greek then took control. Fils struggled in the third set, showing frustration as he lost it 6-1. Both players exchanged breaks early in the fourth, but Tsitsipas immediately broke again and Fils could not recover. The match ended in under three hours.

The result was especially painful after Fils became the first Frenchman in 12 years to win a Masters 1000 in Cincinnati. The 22-year-old had already missed the Australian Open and Roland-Garros because of injuries, then lost in the second round at Wimbledon in July. He has never gone beyond the second round in three US Open appearances.

Tsitsipas, a former world No. 3 and two-time Grand Slam finalist, had not beaten a top-20 player at a major for more than three years. He will play South African Lloyd Harris, ranked 139th, in the second round. Fils remains the first Cincinnati champion to lose his opening match in New York since Stefan Edberg in 1990.