(Halle) Félix Auger-Aliassime didn’t have it easy in his first match at the Halle grass-court tournament, but he found a way to win.
Posted at 9:29
Auger-Aliassime, seeded fourth, needed more than two hours (2:12) to defeat American Marco Giron 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.
After dominating the first set thanks to two breaks, Auger-Aliassime snatched a little more from the second. In particular, he gave up three breaks to his opponent, who was very solid on his service returns.
The 21-year-old Quebecer took the lead in the third set when he broke Giron in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead. He completed his match with 11 aces and five double faults and he also totaled 23 unforced errors – against 28 for Giron.
In the next round, Auger-Aliassime will face another American, Mackenzie McDonald, winner of the Swiss Marc-Andrea Huesler.