Tennis News: Occupying the highest ranking of his career to date, world number 6, Felix Auger Aliassime needs all the experience to overcome Thiago Monteiro at the Miami Open season 2023.
The Canadian tennis player struggled to win 7-6, 7-6 against Brazilian national Monteiro in the second round of the Miami Open. She squandered four match point chances in a dramatic second-set tiebreaker, but the world No. 81’s volley return went too far on her fifth match point for her to emerge victorious after 2:41 minutes.
“After the first set, I felt a little better, admits Auger Aliassime. “I gave myself a chance. Every time he came out with awesome serves and awesome shots. So I just have to fight, keep trying, keep going and keep thinking positively. I think it was the key to the game this time around, just staying strong mentally.
The fifth seed has reached at least the quarter-finals in his last six Masters 1000 tournaments. Whether he can turn that consistency into the first Masters title of his career will depend on his ability to improve his game at crucial moments and he will certainly have to show some tenacity to overcome a passionate Monteiro.
Monteiro saved two set points at 4-5 in the first set, but he couldn’t do anything to stop the Canadian in the tiebreaker.
Even so, the Brazilian national refused to give up in the second set. he saved all three break point chances he faced to force another tiebreaker which was again won by the fifth seed.
The fifth seed won 86% of the points on his first serve and hit with 12 aces to further dominate his head to head against Monteiro 3-0.
Awaiting Auger Aliassime in the third round of the Miami Open is 25th seed Francisco Cerundolo, who crushed host Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4, 6-4.
The match will be a rematch of the encounter between the two tennis players in Indian Wells some time ago when the Canadian national defeated the Argentine national Cerundolo in straight sets.
In the draw for the same match, 12th seed Frances Tiafoe also had to fight hard before defeating Japanese tennis player Yosuke Watanuki 6-7, 7-6, 6-4. In the third round, host tennis player Tiafoe will face Italian tennis player Lorenzo Sonego, who knocked out 23rd seed Dan Evans 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Article Tags: Tennis, Miami Open, Felix Auger Aliassime, Thiago Monteiro
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