Cincinnati, Aug 21 (IANS) Arthur Fils charged into his third ATP Masters 1000 semi-final of the season at the Cincinnati Open, when he dispatched first-time Masters 1000 quarter-finalist Thiago Agustin Tirante 6-3, 6-2 in 64 minutes.

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.

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 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 ATP Finals. Since adding 2001 Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic to his team (he’s also coached by Ivan Cinkus), Fils has reached the quarterfinals or better in eight of 13 events, all but one coming at the 500 or 1000 level, the 2026 Cincinnati Open included.

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 ATP Stats.

He 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.

Cobolli rallied for a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory against home favourite Tommy Paul to advance to his first Masters 1000 semi-final in Ohio.

The 24-year-old will now prepare for his first semi-final since his run to the Roland Garros championship match in June. He is just the second Italian man to reach the last four in in Cincinnati after Jannik Sinner in 2024 and 2025.

With victory against Paul, Cobolli also ensured he would on Monday rise to a new career high in the ATP Rankings: He is currently up four spots to No. 6 in the Live Rankings.

–IANS

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