Tennis News: Will the return to the Cincinnati Open be a catalyst for Canadian tennis player Felix Auger Aliassime’s rise in the 2023 season?
The 12th seed had to give it all before claiming a 4-6 6-2 6-3 victory over Matteo Berrettini in the first round of the Cincinnati Open. She came back in impressive fashion after dropping the first set to claim a second win in her sixth encounter against the Italian.
Arriving in Cincinnati having suffered five straight losses, the Canadian tennis player earned a rather tough first-round tie against seven-time tennis player Berrettini that lasted 2 hours 25 minutes.
“It’s a big victory. This season has been a tough season, facing new things,” admits Auger Aliassime. “Every win I get, for now I feel happy. Of course, this tournament has just started and I want to go even further. I still have big ambitions. I never doubted myself.
“There were comments here and there, but at the end of the day, I know my game hasn’t left me. I know I can still play a good game and I’m proving it again this time. So I will try to continue and it’s a positive start.”
The 12th seed missed two break point chances in the final game of the first set before Berrettini took the lead in their first encounter of the 2023 season. He later admitted disappointment prompted him to converting three of the four break point opportunities he had created throughout the season. two sets, the last between the two tennis players who are struggling to regain their best form.
The tennis player who has won four titles qualified for the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Open in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. His second round opponent was French veteran Adrian Mannarino who won a 6-4 victory 6-3 over his compatriot Richard Gasquet.
“Every game is different, I can’t take that for granted,” Auger Aliassime said. “It was a difficult first half, but after that it won’t be easier. The lesson I learned is to take energy like I showed this time, use it at the day by day and see how far it can take me.
Keywords: Tennis, Cincinnati Open, Felix Auger Aliassime, Matteo Berrettini
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