"The crowd took it badly but I don't care" - Arthur Fils retaliates after heated final against Alexander Zverev ends in chaos at Hamburg Open
Arthur Fils and Alexander Zverev were involved in a highly competitive final at the Hamburg Open. The match witnessed a chaotic end with the Frenchman attempting an underarm serve at a crucial juncture. The crowd was unhappy with the attempt but after registering the win, Fils claimed he did not care if the crowd was against it.
Top seed and defending champion Zverev had lost just one set on his way to the final in Hamburg. Fils followed a similar trajectory.
The Frenchman drew first blood and won the first set in the Hamburg Open final on July 21. The World No. 4 fought back and won the second set to force a decider.
Fils saved 21 break points in the match and five of those were in the deciding set. He saved break points at 4-4 and 5-5. At 5-5, 30-40, down, Fils audaciously attempted an underarm serve. It was initially called in but following Zverev's protests, the umpire checked it and called it out.
The crowd took a stand against Fils' serve. Moreover, the scenario took an ugly turn when the Frenchman went over to Zverev's bench and the pair had to be separated by an umpire.
Following all the drama that unfolded in the third set, Fils won the match 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(1) to bag his first ATP 500 title. During his on-court interview after the three-hour 21-minute final, Fils claimed he was suffering from cramps which forced him to attempt the underarm serve. He did not care what the crowd thought about it.
"I'm really happy about how I played. I did everything for winning this match. I got cramps, when I was serving I was cramping. I was trying underarm serves because I cannot serve. The crowd took it badly but I don't care, I'm winning and that's it," Fils said.
Arthur Fils called Alexander Zverev a 'great champion' following their Hamburg Open final
Arthur Fils and Alexander Zverev were involved in a heated discussion in the dying moments of their Hamburg Open final. They seemed to have a 'cold' handshake after the match as well. However, Fils was quick to praise the German and called him a 'great champion'.
"Sascha [Zverev] is such a great champion. He's such a great champion playing unbelievable tennis. I knew from the start that it wasn't going to be easy," Arthur Fils said in his on-court interview.
The Frenchman went on to explain how the match unfolded. He understood it was going to be a 'dogfight' after the roofs were closed following the second set. They had to fight for every point and the 20-year-old was happy to come out the winner.