(New York) Félix Auger-Aliassime was just passing through the US Open tennis tournament. He lost 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 to Czech Jakub Mensik in the first round of the last major tournament of the season on Tuesday afternoon.
Auger-Aliassime, the 19e The tournament’s top seed, was never really in the game against Mensik, losing after two hours and three minutes on Court No. 5.
He now has a career record of 1-1 against Mensik, 64.e world champion, after beating him in the third round of the Madrid Masters earlier this year.
PHOTO PAMELA SMITH, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jakub Mensik
The 24-year-old Quebecer was in the same portion of the draw as world No. 1, Italian Jannik Sinner, who made headlines last week after being cleared despite two positive doping tests for an anabolic steroid in March.
For his part, Ontario’s Denis Shapovalov will have to face Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp a little later this afternoon, a player he beat in their only previous duel, in Indian Wells earlier in 2024.
As for Montrealer Gabriel Diallo, he will have a meeting this afternoon with Spaniard Jaume Munar, 72e world champion. The 27-year-old has never advanced beyond the second round of a Grand Slam tournament. Diallo, who is 22, earned his berth into the main draw of the US Open after making it through three qualifying rounds last week.
In the women’s race, Quebecer Leylah Annie Fernandez will face Russian Anastasia Potapova, 43, in the first round this afternoon.e in the world. The 21-year-old from Laval has an unblemished 4-0 career record against Potapova, having beaten her in Madrid and Strasbourg earlier this season.
For her part, Ontario’s Bianca Andreescu will have quite a challenge ahead of her tonight as she will have to face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini, the fifth seed. The 2019 US Open champion has lost both of her career matches against Paolini — at the French Open and then at Wimbledon this year.