It’s time for some fireworks in Paris! The German superstar, Alexander Zverev is all set to take on the in-form Frenchman, Arthur Fils in the R16 of the 2024 Paris Masters. Zverev has now made it the R16 of all the nine ATP Masters events this season! The last player to accomplish this feat in a single season was Rafael Nadal in 2017. Can he keep on this incredible run and take down Arthur Fils who is more than just a tough competitor. 

Alexander Zverev vs Arthur Fils: Preview

The 2024 season has truly been an extraordinary season for the German. Alexander Zverev has won only one title (Italian Open) so far this season, but if we take a closer look at his performance this year, it’s a different story. He has made several long runs in his previous tournaments this year and it’s this consistency that has put him in the Top 3! Zverev defeated the Dutchman, Tallon Griekspoor in the R32 7-6(2),6-3. What’ll be the scoreline in the next match?

His opponent in the R16 clash, Arthur Fils has also been very impressive this season. He started his campaign in the 2024 season  reaching the QF of the Hong Kong Open and after that, he made it to the SF of the ASB Classic. His first title triumph in this season came at the Challenger Bordeaux, FR. After that, he also won the German Open and Japan Open. Guess who was his opponent in the final of the 2024 German Open? Fils is entering this match after two consecutive straight-set wins in his previous two rounds. He defeated another German, Jan-Lennard Struff by 6-3,6-4 in the R32. It’ll be interesting to see how he approaches this match against a higher-ranked German.

Zverev vs Fils: Head-to-Head

Well, Alexander Zverev has faced Arthur Fils three times in his career. Currently, Zverev leads the H2H record against the 20-year-old Frenchman with a margin of one game. 

• 2023 Hamburg SF: Zverev 6-2,6-4.
• 2024 Halle QF: Zverev 6(5)-7,6-3,6-4.
• 2024 Hamburg Final: Fils 6-3,3-6,7-6(1).

Prediction: Zverev to win this match in three sets

With the support of the home crowd, we expect Arthur Fils to come up with a real fight against the world number 3. However, despite the crowd suppport and victory in their last encounter, Zverev is still ahead in the competition apparently. And, there are a few reasons. Zverev has a win-loss index of 59-20 as of now, on the other hand, Fils has just recorded 37-25 this season.

Talking about the surface, we heard Zverev point out, “Very fast court. I think one of the fastest courts I’ve ever played on,” after his first match. In short, we can expect it to be equally challenging for both the stars.

If we take a look at their playing styles, Arthur Fils loves playing an aggressive brand of tennis. He is often seen heavily relying on her powerful serves and strong forehand shots to demolish his opponents. He has hit 336 aces this season and committed 186 double faults as of now. Fils has a game style similar to that of the French legend, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, which he admitted himself in 2023.

Alexander Zverev on the other hand, is also more of an aggressive baseliner. He likes to stand far behind the baseline and aims to hit powerful groundstrokes either for winners or to wear don his opponents. This 27-year-old German superstar can generate a lot of power with his backhand and forehand. In fact, his backhand is regarded as one of the best on the men’s Tour. However, we shouldn’t miss talking about his fierce serves! Alexander Zverev has hit a total of 711 aces this aces and committed just 170 double faults. His biggest weak points have been his volley and overhead technique, but is it enough to make him second-best against Arthur Fils? Perhaps not!