In an upset-filled Miami Open, Jiri Lehecka and Arthur Fils will face off in a thrilling semi-final on Friday.
This marks their fourth head-to-head meeting, with the Phils leading the series 2-1. After splitting their first two matches, the Frenchman recently defeated Lehecka 6-3, 6-3 in the quarterfinals in Doha last month.
Fils ended up finishing second to Carlos Alcaraz at that ATP 500 tournament, and there are still high expectations for the 21-year-old. Showing zero back injury results for 2025, the Fils are 13-4 this season and have yet to win against an opponent ranked worse than eighth in the world. His run in Miami included a 6-0, 6-1 demolition of Stefanos Tsitsipas and a 6-7(3), 7-6(4), 7-6(6) win over Tommy Paul in the quarterfinals.
Lehecka was a modest 6-5 in his 2026 campaign to Miami, but he’s been on a roll with wins over Moise Kouame, Ethan Quinn, Taylor Fritz and Martin Landaluce. That’s all well and good for the 22nd-ranked Czech, but three of his opponents are young up-and-comers who are nowhere near their starting spots and one – Fritz – is dealing with knee tendonitis.
The important thing is that Lehecka plays well; The Phils are playing big. It’s a big day off, too, for the world No. 31 after battling Paul for two hours and 47 minutes on Wednesday night. The Fils should be ready to roll again on Friday and likely continue their current surgery.
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