French Open star shuns primetime match for rival competition after thrilling win

Frenchman Arthur Fils' clash with fellow top-15 tennis star is the pick of the third round matches on this side of the men's draw so far. But they won't be playing the primetime night session on Saturday if Fils has anything to say about it.

The 20-year-old is a huge fan of PSG and wants to watch the Champions League final no matter what, though he knows Rublev could request the 8.15pm match time just to spite him. But Fils will first have to see how he pulls up after winning a four-hour and 25-minute match on Thursday after struggling with a back issue.

When told that his showdown with Rublev could make a good night session match, Fils immediately interjected. And even if he does get his wish to play earlier on Saturday, the world No. 14 will have to settle for watching his beloved PSG take on Inter Milan on the tele.

"I think it's tough to fly there. I don't know. I don't know what Rublev ask. Maybe he asked to play night session just to bother me," the smiley Frenchman said of his potential schedule.

"No, I'm kidding. I don't know. Let's see about the schedule. Let's hope I'm playing in the afternoon but not during the night."

Explaining where his love for the club stemmed from, he added: "Since I have been young, it was either OM or Paris. Of course there are other teams, but when you're a young boy, they ask you, 'Do you like OM or Paris?'

"I have always loved Paris. I have played a little football myself. And when I really started watching football, this is when Mbappe and Neymar arrived.

"I thought he played wonderfully in his first year in Paris. There was Zlatan as well. I loved watching Zlatan with my father. Stefo. And I'll keep looking.

"But, you know, we travel a lot. We're not always in the time zone. It's difficult to follow League 1 matches. But the Champions League, I still follow that."

While Fils will be keen to get the earliest start possible for his third-round match, it remains to be seen whether he feels fit enough to get through it.

The 20-year-old was hindered by a back problem, which flared up when he faced Jaume Munar on Thursday. He received an off-court medical time-out and was taken to a decider after leading by two sets.

Fils pulled off a heroic escape after going 1-3 down in the final set, winning five of the next six games and fending off a flurry of break points at 4-4. When he finally sealed victory after more than four hours, he whipped off his shirt and roared.

And he later called it his "best match of all time", adding: "I have had big matches before, but I have never had a match like this in five sets before.

"I have had some difficult matches, for example, in my first US Open, but this one is the best five-set match that I have ever played, and I could have lost this match. I was lucky. But it's going to be one of my best five-set matches ever of my life."

But Fils said he "hoped" he would be 100 per cent for their third career meeting.

"Got some issue with the back, but that's since I'm young so I'm used to [it]. And also the cramps. A bit of everything. The mix was not very good," the 14th said of his physical issues.