Arthur Fils follows in Yannick Noah’s footsteps and joins Indian Wells semi-finals, Alexander Zverev advances | ATP Tour
match report
Phils follows in Noah’s footsteps, Indian Wells semi-finals, Zverev advances
Frenchman advances to fourth Masters 1000 QF
March 10, 2026
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Arthur Fells plays at Indian Wells on Tuesday.
Sam Jacott
Arthur Fiers became the third Frenchman to reach the quarterfinals in a row when he beat ninth-seeded Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 7-6(9) at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells on Tuesday.
In a dramatic second set, Fiers squandered a 4-2 lead before coming back from 0/5 in the tie-break to save five set points and win in straight sets after 1 hour and 51 minutes. The 21-year-old celebrated by slapping his chest after the win and then embraced the cheers of the crowd.
“I was 0-5 in the tie-break and I was walking to my box, complaining and complaining. Ivan [Cinkus] Trying to tell me to stay focused then Lapo [Becherini] “He told me to stop complaining,” Fiers said. “Then a little voice in my head said maybe he’s right and I should focus again, and I tried to get him to serve. “I tried to focus as hard as I could. Not a lot of emotion, celebration. It’s just tunnel vision and I’m fine with that. “
Fiers reached his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final in California 12 months ago. The 21-year-old has battled back injuries since then and missed last season’s grass swing before having his season cut short in early August after a third-round exit in Toronto.
The three-time Tour winner returned in Montpellier last month and has impressed so far in his comeback. He reached the final of the ATP 500 event in Doha and performed well in his first match in Indian Wells.
The PIF ATP Ranking No. 32 didn’t drop a set against Marton Fucsovics and Dino Prizmic, and he combined strength with grit to defeat Auger-Aliassime. Fiers now has eight top-10 wins, his first since defeating Andrei Rublev in Monte Carlo in 2025, according to the Infosys ATP Win-Loss Index.
“[I am most pleased] “Everyone played great at the beginning of the match and everyone was able to play great tennis,” Fiers said. But when it matters most, that’s when you see that you’re either a great competitor or you’re going to back off, and today I proved that I’m a great competitor. “
Fiers reached the quarterfinals of Indian Wells for the second consecutive year, becoming the third Frenchman to achieve the feat after 1982 champion Yannick Noah (1982-84, 1986-87) and Thierry Tourasnet (1986-87). Fiers will next meet Alexander Zverev.
Zverev easily defeated American Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 6-4 to earn his 100th Masters 1000 win on hard courts. The German was hitting 70 percent of his first serve shots and was making deep cuts and calling the shots from near the baseline, improving his record to 9-1 in the pair’s Lexus ATP head-to-head series.
“I controlled the game,” Zverev said. “I felt like I was deciding the game on the baseline and playing my way. I’m really happy with that. That’s something I’ve been very open to and it worked today.”
Zverev equaled his best in Indian Wells and now sets his sights on a maiden title in California. The 28-year-old is a seven-time Masters 1000m champion and is chasing his first trophy at this level since Paris in 2024.
