Montreal’s Félix Auger-Aliassime won his third title in as many weeks on the ATP Tour, and fourth in his career, thanks to a straight-set victory of 6-3, 7-5 against Denmark’s Holger Rune, Sunday, in the final of the Basel tennis tournament.
As in his previous games this week, Auger-Aliassime was invincible on his serve, despite the valiant efforts of his 19-year-old opponent to solve it.
Auger-Aliassime had 11 aces, only three double faults and saved all three break points he faced, all in the second set.
Two of those break points came at a crucial moment in the second set as Rune led 4-3 on even serve.
However, his serve, which seems to have become his weapon of choice, came to the rescue of Auger-Aliassime. He saved the former with a service winner and the latter with an ace.
Then, in the 11th game of this second set, Auger-Aliassime created four break points. He converted the fourth when Rune sent a forehand wide outside the sideline.
It was only the second time since the start of the tournament that Rune had lost his serve. The previous one occurred in the fourth game of the first set.
With a 6-5 lead and on serve, Auger-Aliassime won the first three points to give himself as many match points.
The Montrealer squandered the first on a double fault and the second on a forehand volley that landed in the net.
The third was finally the right one, when Rune sent a forehand out of bounds, after an hour 39 minutes of tense and quality play on both sides.
“It’s been a fantastic week. Again in the final, without breaking service, without breaking all week. I hope I can keep going, but right now I’m feeling all the good emotions that come with winning a tournament,” Auger-Aliassime said in an on-court interview moments after his win.
After the decisive point, Auger-Aliassime dropped his racquet and fell on his back, behind the baseline, while taking his head between his two hands.
After the traditional handshakes with his opponent and the chief referee, Auger-Aliassime expressed his joy on the court for a few moments, drank in the applause of the Swiss public before joining the members of his team, seated at the ground level in one of the corners of the enclosure.
“I’m not used to reacting so much, but I think it was a sincere reaction, at the end, with all the tension present during this last game,” he explained. during his on-court interview.
Winner in Florence two weeks ago and in Antwerp last Sunday, Auger-Aliassime will gain a place in the ATP rankings following his victory in Basel and will occupy eighth place on Monday.
He has now won his last 13 games, his last defeat dating back to October 3, in Kazakhastan, against Spaniard Roberto Bautista-Agut.
As for Rune, 25th in the ATP rankings at the start of the week, he will break into the top-20 for the first time in his career, at 18th.