In this punctuated year of the worst moments of his young career, overshadowed in particular by a serious knee injury, Félix Auger-Aliassime achieved a tour de force on Sunday at the ATP tournament in Basel, by lifting the trophy at arm’s length. A title that he no longer even dared to dream of this year, the Quebecer had revealed the day before, as things were going so badly.
Defending champion in Switzerland, on this indoor hard surface where “FAA” is one of the best in the world, Félix defeated the fourth seed, the Pole Hubert Hurkacz, 7-6 (3) and 7-6 (5) .
The Resilience Trophy
But this second coronation in a row in Basel was gleaned in very different circumstances than those of last year, when the Quebecer won his third title in as many weeks in a breathtaking end to the season.
This trophy, this time, is rather that of resilience for a young athlete who, at one point, fell far from the standards to which he had accustomed his supporters. At one point, between June and the beginning of October, “FAA” lost in its first match seven times in eight occasions in ATP tournaments.
Félix Auger-Aliassime in action in the final in Basel, against Hubert Hurkacz.
Photo AFP
Félix was, however, convinced that as soon as he managed to string together victories, he would regain the game – and the confidence, above all – which had allowed him to rise to sixth in the world at the end of the last campaign.
Imperial in every aspect
And that’s what he’s done in the last two tournaments, played indoors, where his powerful serve and attacking game are at their best: quarter-finalist last week in Tokyo, Auger- Aliassime pinned two members of the world’s top 15 in his hunting tournament in Holger Rune, sixth, whom he beat in the semi-final on Saturday, then Hurkacz, 12e.
A Hurkacz who certainly seemed physically diminished from the end of the first set, but against whom the 19e world, sixth seed in Basel, never trembled.
Ultra dominant with the balls in hand and very comfortable in return, despite the heavy serve of his rival, Félix quietly made his way to the fifth title of his career, at 23 years old.
A trophy acquired after hanging on, in the quarterfinals, when he ignored cramps to save a match point in the third set against Alexander Shevchenko, 83e in the world.
More details to come.