Montreal’s Félix Auger-Aliassime began his quest for a third title in as many weeks on the ATP Tour by snatching a victory in three sets of 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-4 over the Switzerland Marc-Andrea Huesler in the first round of the Basel tournament on Wednesday.
Posted at 4:40 p.m.
In the homeland of Roger Federer, Auger-Aliassime, 9e world player and third seed, needed two hours 18 minutes to overcome Huesler, who had received a bye from the organizers and occupies the 62e step in the ATP ranking.
Auger-Aliassime got there, once again, thanks to high-level play at his service. The 22-year-old Quebecer had 17 aces compared to four double faults, faced no break points and won 50 of 56 points after lodging his first serve in play.
Despite these statistics, Auger-Aliassime had to come from behind to register this ninth consecutive victory.
After saving a break point in the 10e game and another at 12eHuesler took the lead in the opening set tiebreaker with back-to-back mini-breaks on the fourth and fifth runs to build a 4-1 lead that he managed to protect.
Auger-Aliassime reacted with authority by breaking Huesler’s serve in the first game of the second set, taking advantage of a short ball to hit a forehand cross that the Swiss could not join. He went on to win all five of his service games losing a total of five points.
In the third set, Auger-Aliassime had to wait a little longer to get the break in service he needed to hope to win the match. He got there in the ninth game, thanks to two consecutive points.
He followed up this break by winning the four points on his serve, the last thanks to his 17e ace of the game.
In the second round, Auger-Aliassime will face Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic.
Elsewhere, in a second-round match, tournament favorite and world number one Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz defeated Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4, 6-2.
Shapovalov eliminates Fritz
Later Wednesday, at the Vienna tennis tournament, Denis Shapovalov of Ontario earned his ticket to the quarter-finals with a three-set victory of 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 over the American Taylor Fritz, seeded fourth and 10e world player.
This is the fifth time that Shapovalov, ranked 19e in the world, takes the measure of Fritz in seven confrontations.
PHOTO HIRO KOMAE, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Denis Shapovalov
Both players finished the match with 10 aces, but Shapovalov was more efficient after getting his first serve in play, with an 88% success rate compared to 73% for Fritz.
Shapovalov was particularly incisive in the first set, which he won in 21 minutes, thanks to broken services in the third, fifth and seventh games.
Fritz forced a decisive set by breaking in the fifth game of the second set.
Shapovalov gave himself the advantage in the third set with a break in the sixth game, when Fritz sent a backhand into the net.
Buoyed by that 4-2 lead, Shapovalov won his next two games on serve and ended the duel when he forced Fritz to send a crossback backhand outside the sideline.
In the quarter-finals on Friday, Shapovalov will face the Briton Daniel Evans, ranked 26e in the world.