Arthur Fils failed to bring the first point to the European team. The young Frenchman, invited to the Laver Cup, Roger Federer’s prestigious exhibition, was initially only supposed to be a substitute in Vancouver. But with the withdrawal of Stefanos Tsitsipas, he found himself propelled to the front of the stage for the first duel of this edition. And not without a struggle, he finally gave in in two sets to Ben Shelton, the latest sensation of the US Open.
In this clash between young promising players on the circuit, Arthur Fils missed the turning point of the match, the tie-break of the first set. While the match was balanced until then, the 19-year-old Frenchman led 4-1 in this decisive game. But he lost control of the game, leaving the big American server to string together six points in a row to pocket the victory of the set.
Visibly affected by the loss of this first round on the prestigious black court of the exhibition competition, Arthur Fils then had difficulty finding the thread of the match. And suffered the powerful blows of his opponent, who unfolded to fold this match in two sets. John McEnroe’s men are off to a perfect start in defending their title.