Auger-Aliassime, Shapovalov Off to Profitable Begins at French Open

Canada had a dream day on Monday at Roland-Garros, with Félix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov each kicking off their French Open campaigns with straight-set wins. 

It was the identical story on the ladies’s facet, as Bianca Andreescu and Leylah Annie Fernandez each took care of enterprise in straight units. 

Each Canadian males had been locked in on serve of their victories and overcame some difficult exterior components in addition to their opponents. Auger-Aliassime needed to take care of two rain delays in his win over Yoshihito Nishioka, whereas Shapovalov contended with the partisan French crowd as he took down Luca Van Assche.  

Auger-Aliassime couldn’t have requested for a greater begin to his marketing campaign, cruising previous Nishioka in straight units on a wet Monday morning on the French Open. 

Not even a number of rain delays might break the Twenty first-seeds rhythm, as he dominated along with his serve and saved Nishioka below fixed strain, advancing to the second spherical of Roland-Garros for simply the second time with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 win. 

It was a near-perfect serving efficiency from the Canadian, who by no means confronted a break level within the match. He received 84 per cent of his first-serve factors and 77 per cent of service factors general. He additionally had 44 winners, twice as many as his opponent.  

Learn additionally: Nishikori Overcomes Diallo

Auger-Aliassime began making use of strain proper from the beginning, holding a pair of break factors within the opening recreation earlier than coaxing an error at 30-40 within the third to interrupt for a 2-1 lead.  

The Canadian was firing on all cylinders early on, profitable his first 12 factors on serve together with a recreation the place he held with three aces. By the point Nishioka even received some extent on return, Auger-Aliassime was serving for the arrange a double break. 

Because the second set went alongside, closing out video games began to develop into an issue for Nishioka. At 3-3, the Japanese let a 40-love lead slip away and ended up having to avoid wasting three break factors.  

In his subsequent service recreation, Nishioka discovered himself locked at deuce having led 30-love. He missed a couple of probabilities to shut out the sport, with the Canadian pulling off some unbelievable passing pictures, after which flubbed a forehand volley to lastly give up what proved to be the decisive break of the set. 

Learn additionally: ATP Energy Rankings Forward of Roland-Garros

Rain paused play for over an hour when Auger-Aliassime was two factors from serving out the set, however he had no bother ending it off when play resumed. 

The delay didn’t have an effect on the Canadian’s momentum as he instantly broke to begin the third set, hitting back-to-back winners from deuce to grab the early initiative. 

That break held by means of the set, however Auger-Aliassime needed to wait to complete off the match as rain as soon as once more despatched them again to the locker room earlier than he served at 5-4. After they got here again, the Canadian was pushed to deuce however hit his method out of the jam and into the second spherical. 

Learn additionally: Rafael Nadal’s Unforgettable First in Montreal

In spherical two, Auger-Aliassime will face qualifier Henri Squire. 

Shapovalov Will get the Job Performed 

Whereas he confronted extra resistance than his countryman earlier within the day, Denis Shapovalov was capable of write an analogous story, advancing to the second spherical of Roland-Garros for the second yr in a row with a straight-set win. 

Like Auger-Aliassime, his serve was not damaged and he was opportunistic when the door opened on return, holding off the tenacious Luca Van Assche 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. 

Break level conversion was the decisive issue within the match, as Shapovalov transformed three of his six alternatives and saved all three he confronted on serve. The Canadian additionally measured his aggression higher. Each males had 37 unforced errors, however Shapovalov balanced it out with 35 winners, whereas Van Assche solely managed 13. 

Possibilities had been restricted within the opening set, with each males holding serve with relative ease. All it took was one blink from Van Assche within the eighth recreation, when an error at 30-all gave Shapovalov the lone break level of the set which he transformed with a winner to take a decisive lead. 

The second set adopted an analogous script. Neither man had a glance within the first six video games earlier than a slew of errors from Van Assche gave the Canadian probabilities to interrupt at 3-3. He missed his first two break factors however the Frenchman gave him a freebie on the third, sending a backhand lengthy to give up the break. 

Learn additionally: WTA Energy Rankings Forward of Roland-Garros

There was drama as Shapovalov seemed to serve out the set. He appeared to have it received when he struck an ace at 40-15, however the umpire checked the mark and known as it out. Van Assche proceeded to win three straight factors to arrange a break level. The Frenchman in the end had three probabilities to stage the set within the recreation however Shapovalov stepped up every time, saving two with huge serves and one with a forehand winner. He finally held to take a two-set lead. 

Shapovalov made his transfer even earlier within the third set. At 2-2, he dropped in a return at deuce for a winner to arrange break level and Van Assche gifted it to him with an error. 

Learn additionally: Canadian Roland-Garros Draw Preview 

Van Assche didn’t go away quietly, however he by no means had an opportunity to get again within the match. With every service recreation for the rest of the set, Shapovalov held extra simply and capped it off with a maintain to like. 

A win in spherical two over both Mattia Belluci or Frances Tiafoe would see Shapovalov match his best-ever outcome at Roland-Garros, which he set by reaching the third spherical final yr.  

General, the Canadians went 4-1 within the first spherical of the singles in Paris, with solely Gabriel Diallo exiting the event on Sunday.