Poland's Hubert Hurkacz, a contender for the Wimbledon title, was forced to withdraw from his second-round match against Arthur Fils on Thursday due to a knee injury. The seventh-seeded Hurkacz, who reached the semi-finals in 2021 after defeating eight-time champion Roger Federer, sustained the injury while diving for a ball during the fourth set tie-break.
Despite limping back to his chair on Court Two, Hurkacz continued for two more points before retiring, handing 20-year-old Fils his first Grand Slam third-round appearance. Fils had taken the first two sets 7-6 (7/2), 6-4, while Hurkacz claimed the third 6-2 and had a set point in the fourth before his premature exit.
"It's not nice to win like that against a friend. We had a very good match, he was diving everywhere," said Fils, ranked 34th in the world. "I hope he gets better quickly. Now I'm focusing on the next round."
Fils will face either Roman Safiullin of Russia or Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic for a place in the last 16. "I didn't like grass very much in the past, but it turns out that I can play it quite well," said the Frenchman.
Hurkacz's injury is a significant blow to his Wimbledon hopes. The 25-year-old has been in impressive form this season, winning the Halle Open on grass in June. He was considered an outside favorite for the Wimbledon title, but his withdrawal leaves the tournament wide open.
Fils, on the other hand, has seized the opportunity with both hands. The young Frenchman has shown great resilience and determination in his first two matches at Wimbledon. He will be hoping to continue his impressive run and make a deep run into the tournament.
Tags: #Wimbledon, #HubertHurkacz, #ArthurFils, #Tennis, #Injury
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