(Adelaide) A few days after winning the title of Male Athlete of the Year from The Canadian Press, an honor that came to crown a spectacular end to 2022, Montreal tennis player Félix Auger-Aliassime will begin his 2023 campaign on Monday at the Adelaide International.
The second seed in a top-level Masters 250 category tournament and sixth player in the world, Auger-Aliassime will play his first match of the new year against Australian Alexei Popyrin, a player from the qualifiers.
At the earliest, the duel will start at 2:30 p.m. Adelaide time, or 11 p.m. Quebec time on Sunday.
If Auger-Aliassime wins, he will face American Marcos Giron, who eliminated French veteran Richard Gasquet in three sets of 7-6 (5), 6-7 (6), 7-5 in a battle which lasted nearly three hours.
Another Canadian is listed in the main draw, Ontario’s Denis Shapovalov, seeded seventh. Shapovalov is set to play his first-round match on Tuesday against Rinky Hijikata, another Australian from qualifying.
Vasek Pospisil attempted to join Auger-Aliassime and Shapovalov in the main draw but his efforts were thwarted in the second qualifying round when he lost 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-3 to the Russian Roman Safiullin.
The table of the men’s singles is very high with the presence of the Serbian Novak Djokovic, first seed, but also those of the Russians Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev, respectively third and fourth seeds, and the Dane Holger Rune, classified fifth.
Auger-Aliassime and Rune could also face each other in the third round, barely two months after having crossed swords in two duels in the space of a week, in the final of the Basel tournament then in the semi-finals of the Masters 1000 of Paris. Auger-Aliassime had won in two sets in Basel, thus deserving a third consecutive title, before losing in two sets in Paris, a tournament which Rune won against Djokovic.
Rune is also due to play his first-round match on Monday, against Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka.
For his part, Djokovic will face Frenchman Constant Lestienne in the first round on Tuesday. All eyes will be on the Serb who has returned to Australia after being kicked out last year over his stance on COVID-19 vaccinations.
In 2007, at the age of 19, Djokovic won the Adelaide International for what was then his third career title on the ATP Tour.
“I chose Adelaide because I wanted to play a tournament before the Australian Open,” Djokovic told reporters this week. “I wanted a normal 250 tournament.
“Judging by the roster of players who are in this 250 tournament, it’s not really a 250 tournament. It might be a 500 tournament or maybe a 1000. Some of the best players in the world are here, both men and women,” observed Djokovic.
Spectacular recovery of Andreescu
On Sunday’s women’s side, Canada’s Bianca Andreescu came from behind to defeat Spain’s Garbine Muguruza in straight sets 0-6, 7-6(3), 6-1.
PHOTO BRENTON EDWARDS, FRANCE-PRESSE AGENCY
Canadian Bianca Andreescu, happy with her victory
Andreescu trailed 0-6, 2-5 before making a remarkable comeback to win in two hours and 12 minutes. The Canadian improved her career record against Muguruza to 3-0.
“I really changed my game plan in the second set,” observed Andreescu. I told myself to try everything and that what had to happen will happen. I sent more returns and more serves. I’m so proud that I was able to get this victory. I don’t know how I did. »
Muguruza looked in exceptional form in the first set, hitting eight shot winners to two and converting three of her five break points without herself facing one.
Andreescu started the second set better, but Muguruza took a 4-2 lead with a forehand winner and served to give herself a 5-2 lead. The Spaniard served for the match at 5-3, but Andreescu dodged danger before winning the tiebreaker with an ace.
The Canadian served well and then smashed her rival to give herself a 3-1 lead in the final set. She will now face fourth seed Veronika Kudermetova or Amanda Anisimova.
In another women’s singles match, Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi also came from behind to knock out Belarus’ Aliaksandra Sasnovich 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.