Arthur Fils saved four match points before securing victory over Tommy Paul in the Miami Open quarter-finals.
The Frenchman found himself 2-6 down in the final set tiebreak and facing the prospect of a fifth consecutive Masters 1000 quarter-final exit of his career.
However, Fils was not to be deterred, rattling off six consecutive points to secure the match 6-7, 7-6, 7-6.
The 21-year-old, who has been in great form since returning from a long-term injury in February, will now face 21st seed Jiri Lehecka in the Miami Open semi-finals.
Fils is one of the most exciting young talents on Tour, and her confirmed this by rivalling a feat of Richard Gasquet’s.
Arthur Fils enters conversation alongside Richard Gasquet after reaching the Miami Open semi-finals
Arthur Fils is quickly becoming the most likely player to challenge the dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
At just 21 years old, Fils has demonstrated he can compete with the best on the Tour; and could reach his first Masters 1000 final later today.
Will Joao Fonseca be the man to break up Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s dominance?
If not, who will be?
Fils may also be the most exciting young French talent since Richard Gasquet, who first burst onto the tennis scene at 15 years old.
As per statisticians OptaAce, at 21 years and 278 days, Arthur Fils has become the youngest French player to reach an ATP Masters 1000 semi-final since Richard Gasquet at the 2007 Paris Masters.
Gasquet was also 21 years old when he defeated James Blake and Andy Murray on his way to the semi-finals of the 2007 Paris Masters.
In the semi-finals, Gasquet was defeated by David Nalbandian, who went on to beat Rafael Nadal in the final.
| Round | Opponent | Score |
| First Round | BYE | – |
| Second Round | Darwin Blanch | 6–2, 6–3 |
| Third Round | Stefanos Tsitsipas | 6–0, 6–1 |
| Fourth Round | Valentin Vacherot | 6-4, 6-7, 6-4 |
| Quarter-final | Tommy Paul | 6–7, 7–6, 7–6 |
| Semi-final | Jiří Lehečka | ? |
Returning to Fils, the Frenchman will be confident of advancing to the Miami Open final.
This is because he has a 2-1 winning record against Jiri Lehecka and beat the Czech star in their last match at the 2026 Qatar Open.
Who is Richard Gasquet coaching?
Richard Gasquet is working with talented 17-year-old French youngster Moise Kouame.
Kouame, from Sarcelles in France, recently became the youngest player since Rafael Nadal in 2003 to win a Masters 1000 main draw match.
| Year | Player | Age | Tournament |
| 2002 | Richard Gasquet | 15 years, 301 days | Monte-Carlo |
| 2003 | Rafael Nadal | 16 years, 315 days | Hamburg |
| 1991 | Dinu Pescariu | 17 years, 10 days | Monte-Carlo |
| 2026 | Moise Kouame | 17 years, 12 days | Miami |
Kouame defeated Zachary Svajda before losing to Arthur Fils’ next opponent, Jiri Lehecka.
As for Gasquet, he retired from his playing career last year.
As per BBC Sport, Franck Ramella, Gasquet’s biographer and tennis writer for L’Equipe, said: “I think he [Gasquet] is happy with his career. Because he never wanted or ever claimed to be the ultimate champion.
“He never recognised himself in what others expected of him. What was complicated for him was the expectations.
“We had a lot of hope. We’ve been waiting for a men’s champion since Yannick Noah [in 1983] at Roland Garros, so there’s a kind of failure syndrome [in French tennis]. So as soon as someone can win, we put a lot of intensity into it, a lot of belief. France really believed in him.
“Every time he lost or didn’t make it to the final, there was disappointment but he was incredibly good.”
