Felix Auger-Aliassime is off to a profitable begin on the clay. The 23-year-old Canadian displayed a composed and bodily model of tennis on the pink dust, overwhelming qualifier Luca Nardi 6-2, 6-3 in 82 minutes to advance to the second spherical of the Monte Carlo Masters.
In entrance of a full crowd on Courtroom Rainier III in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France, the previous world no. 6 delivered a immediate reminder of the extent of tennis he can produce when wholesome and assured.
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After 5 consecutive exchanges of service holds to start the match, the Montreal native drew first blood within the sixth sport of the primary set. At deuce, he would hit a superbly measured drop shot winner off his backhand aspect. He then broke serve on a fantastically constructed level, closing with a well-timed swinging forehand volley to safe the 4-2 benefit.
With Nardi serving once more whereas trailing 2-5, it was the Canadian who shortly raced to a 0-40 lead, and on his second alternative, struck a clear operating forehand passing shot winner to seize the opening set 6-2 in 42 minutes.
The second set adopted a lot of the identical script, as Auger-Aliassime had the Italian qualifier scrambling and lunging out of place typically as he dictated play together with his bodily, baseline tennis. Three holds of serve would start proceedings earlier than the Canadian capitalized shortly on a gap, hitting a flurry of massive forehands to interrupt for a 3-1 lead.
The Canadian would keep on the entrance foot from there, defending his service video games with out dealing with a single break level. At 5-3, 40-15, he’d strike one in all his 22 winners on the day to safe the straight units victory.
Nardi, who simply weeks in the past, secured one of the best match win of his profession by upsetting Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells, had no solutions towards the big-serving Canadian in Monte Carlo. Auger-Aliassime fired six aces total and gained 36 of his 47 service factors. He additionally generated seven break factors on return, efficiently changing three.
The 23-year-old, who was hampered by a knee damage throughout final 12 months’s clay courtroom swing, regarded match all through this encounter, sliding effortlessly across the pink floor and unleashing punishing, penetrating groundstrokes all through the win.
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It’s his first victory on the Monte Carlo Masters since 2019, and with the win he improves to 9-8 in 2024.
The Canadian will face world no. 2 and two-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in a blockbuster second spherical showdown subsequent.
