ATP Tour

Fils ends Tirante's Cincinnati run, reaches third Masters 1000 SF of 2026

Arthur Fils charged into his third ATP Masters 1000 semi-final of the season Thursday at the Cincinnati Open, where he dispatched first-time Masters 1000 quarter-finalist Thiago Agustin Tirante 6-3, 6-2 in 64 minutes.

In one of his most commanding performances of the season, Fils overpowered the 25-year-old Argentine behind his big baseline ball striking and served with conviction in the pair's first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting. With the victory, the 22-year-old became the first Frenchman to reach three Masters 1000 semi-finals in a season since Guy Forget, who achieved the feat in 1991.

"Tonight was good, very good," Fils said after earning the quickest victory of the tournament so far. "First time on the centre court in Cincinnati. It is a different energy, a different vibe. I just played my best tennis and I am very happy with the performance."

After clinching a decisive break at 4-3 in the first set, Fils continued to fire off thunderous forehands, relentlessly putting Tirante on the back foot. The 22-year-old broke the Argentine's serve twice in the second set and never faced a break point of his own throughout the clash, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Fils will now face Flavio Cobolli for a place in the title match, with both players seeking to reach a Masters 1000 final for the first time in their careers. This guarantees a third first-time Masters 1000 finalist this season, following Jiri Lehecka in Miami and Brandon Nakashima in Montreal.

"I'm really looking forward to playing against Flavio," Fils said. "He has had an unbelievable year. He is playing is best tennis. It is going to be a nice match. He is gonna go for me and I am gonna go for him. We're going to enjoy it."

Since returning from an eight-month injury layoff in February, Fils has put together a solid season. The Frenchman has compiled a 30-10 tour-level record this year, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, highlighted by a title in Barcelona and semi-final runs at Masters 1000 events in Miami and Madrid.

That consistency has put Fils into contention for his first appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals, with the 22-year-old currently sitting seventh in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin.

Although Tirante fell short of his first Masters 1000 semi-final, he will leave Cincinnati with plenty of positives. With his run to the last eight, the Argentine has climbed to a career-high No. 41 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. Tirante began the season as World No. 103.

Before this year, the Argentine had not won more than six tour-level matches in a single season, but he has now earned 26 in 2026, which includes runs to the fourth round at Masters 1000 events in Rome and Montreal and now the last eight in Cincinnati. In Ohio, he beat Jan Choinski, stunned Novak Djokovic in three sets, then ousted Martin Landaluce and Jakub Mensik before falling to Fils in the last eight.