(Cincinnati) Quebecer Félix Auger-Aliassime got off to a good start in the Western & Southern Open by defeating Australian Alex de Minaur in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 on Wednesday.
Posted at 1:16 p.m.
Auger-Aliassime, returning from a quarter-final appearance at the National Bank Open, took just 78 minutes to defeat de Minaur and advance to the third round in Cincinnati.
Auger-Aliassime, seeded seventh in the tournament, now awaits the winner of the match between Italian Jannik Sinner (no 10) and Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic. This clash will take place a little later on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old Quebecer had nine aces during his duel against the Australian and he won 82% of his points on the first serve. He broke his opponent four times, including three in the second set.
It was the first match between Auger-Aliassime and de Minaur on the ATP circuit. They had both won a Challenger-level showdown.
Ontario’s Denis Shapovalov, eliminated by de Minaur in Montreal, faces American Tommy Paul on Wednesday. Paul has won the last two matches against Shapovalov, including the final of the Stockholm tournament in 2021.