Fils beats fellow Frenchman Humbert to win Japan Open

Arthur Fils gave a gritty performance and rallied to beat French compatriot Ugo Humbert 5-7, 7-6 (6), 6-3 in the final of the Japan Open.

Fils saved a championship point in the second-set tiebreaker before completing the turnaround to earn his third tour-level title.

The 20-year-old Fils struggled with an injury to his left leg for much of the second set and when trailing 4-3 in the second set — with three break points for his opponent — it looked almost certain that Humbert would go on to win his seventh final in seven appearances.

Fils defeated four top-20 opponents — U.S. Open finalist Taylor Fritz, defending champion Ben Shelton, Holger Rune and Humbert — on his way to the title.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis