Quarter-finalist last year, Quebecer Félix Auger-Aliassime did not make it past the first round at the Wimbledon tournament, where his compatriots Denis Shapovalov and Bianca Andreescu continued their journey.
At the end of a marathon match lasting more than four hours, the ninth racket in the world and sixth seed lost 6-7 (5), 6-4, 7-6 (9), 7-6 (5) ahead of the American Maxime Cressy.
The two players didn’t give the opposition an inch on serve, exchanging only five break chances in total in this match, four of which came from Auger-Aliassime. Cressy was only able to convert one, significant one, in the second set.
For the 25-year-old American, who was on the turf of the All England Club for the first time, this is a first victory in five duels against tennis players from the world’s top-10. It was also the first confrontation between the two men.
Auger-Aliassime offered a first match point on a forehand too strong in the tiebreaker of the fourth inning. On his second serve, Cressy opted for a serve and volley, sending the ball away from Auger-Aliassime on his right. The 21-year-old Quebecer couldn’t reach her before she made a second leap, confirming the American’s victory.
Although he dominated with 28 aces and 64 winners (against 18 and 59), Auger-Aliassime had a little less success on the first serve than his opponent 60 against 63%. But it was on the second serve that the difference was most marked: Cressy won 635 of the balls played on such occasions, against only 50% for Auger-Aliassime, who also committed eight double faults and 27 unforced errors.
Shoulder to shoulder
Both players won their serves throughout the first set. The only break point of the set was obtained by Auger-Aliassime, at 5-5, but Cressy saved it.
This is the only break point that the American will offer in the whole duel.
In the tiebreaker, Auger-Aliassime got the mini-break on Cressy’s first serve. The American then double faulted to allow the sixth seed to take a 3-2 lead. The Montrealer won the next two rallies to create a three-point gap, which proved insurmountable. Auger-Aliassime took the set on his second set point.
The first break of the match will ultimately belong to the American, who won in the third game of the second set to take a 2-1 lead. Both players kept their serve until the end of the set, allowing Cressy to create equality in the game.
At the break of the third set, the two tennis players saved two set points. The third will however be the good one for Cressy, who was offered it on a silver platter by Auger-Aliassime, who committed a double fault, his fifth of the match at that time, to give the set and the advantage to the 25-year-old American.
Auger-Aliassime showed some great flashes in the fourth set, but Cressy didn’t give up and his inspired play got him through to the second round.
Shapovalov and Andreescu pass
For his part Shapovalov, 13th seed, needed five sets to beat Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech 6-1, 6-7 (6), 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-1.
Shapovalov took advantage of 20 aces in this meeting, in addition to converting seven of the 15 break points offered by the 62nd racket in the world.
The 23-year-old Canadian, who is ranked 16th in the world, also had the advantage in winners, 58 against 38, while committing fewer unforced errors, 40 against 45.
Finally in the ladies, Andreescu, who had never passed the first round at Wimbledon, won her first match against the American Emina Bektas 6-1, 6-3.
Andreescu, who ranks 56th in the world, took advantage of the largesse of the 224th racket in the world by registering five breaks in 10 occasions. She also managed 28 winners against only nine unforced errors, unlike the 11 winners and 13 unforced errors of her opponent.
The 22-year-old Canadian will have to find her rhythm on serve: she was unable to put more than 52% of her first serves into play. Her success rate, however, was exceptional, with 91% success on such occasions .
She gave only one break chance to Bektas, who converted her.