Antwerp 2023: Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Arthur Fils preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and pick | European Open
Fixture: (1) Stefanos Tsitsipas vs (4) Arthur Fils
Date: October 21, 2023
Tournament: European Open 2023
Round: Semifinal
Venue: Lotto Arena, Antwerp, Belgium
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Hard (indoor)
Prize money: €673,630
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video | Canada - TSN
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Arthur Fils preview
Top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas will face off against Arthur Fils in the semifinals of the 2023 European Open on Saturday.
Tsitsipas overcame Botic van de Zandschulp in straight sets to make the quarterfinals, where Yannick Hanfmann awaited him. He had lost to the German the last time they squared off in Mallorca earlier this year.
Tsitsipas cruised through the first set as a lone break of serve proved to be more than enough for him to clinch it. Hanfmann initially matched Tsitsipas in the second set, but the latter bagged the last four games of the set to score a 6-3, 6-3 win.
Fils edged past Mark Lajal in two tight sets to book a quarterfinal clash against Juan Pablo Varillas. The young Frenchman dominated the first set as he dished out a bagel to nab it.
Varillas played a bit better in the second set, but it wasn't enough to stop his opponent. Fils went up an early break and held on to the advantage to win the match 6-0, 6-3.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Arthur Fils head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between them, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Arthur Fils odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Arthur Fils prediction
Tsitsipas' rough patch seems to be over, given how he has played in Antwerp so far. He has now reached his first semifinal and won consecutive matches for the first time since his title-winning run in Los Cabos back in August.
Tsitsipas avenged his previous defeat against Hanfmann by ousting the German this time around. He didn't drop his serve even once and erased the couple of break points that he faced with ease. The former French Open finalist won 80% of his first serve points and struck a total of 18 winners.
Fils continues to shine in his breakthrough season and now finds himself in his fifth semifinal of the year. The teenager put up a commanding performance against Varillas in the last round. Like Tsitsipas, he didn't lose serve during the match and hit 21 winners.
Fils has a strong serve and forehand and could potentially overpower Tsitsipas. The Greek himself is playing quite well at the moment and could manage to thwart his younger opponent's challenge.
Fils has won just one of his previous three semifinal matches this season, while Tsitsipas has a 4-1 record at this stage. The Greek's experience could give him the required edge to defeat the rising French star.
Pick: Stefanos Tsitsipas to win in three sets.