Just one participant on the 2024 Summer season Olympics has an opportunity at a medal in each singles and doubles: Félix Auger-Aliassime.
The Canadian will play for a singles medal after outlasting world No. 9 Casper Ruud in three units to advance to the singles semifinals in Paris on Friday. Auger-Aliassime is the primary Canadian ever to succeed in the semifinals of the singles on the Olympics.
He’ll play for bronze in combined doubles with Gabriela Dabrowski on Friday. They misplaced their semifinal on Thursday to the Czech pair of Katerina Siniakova and Tomas Mahac.
By way of three matches, Auger-Aliassime has been overwhelming opponents and it was largely the identical within the quarter-finals. He dominated the rallies and used his large serve to nice impact within the 6-4, 6-7(8), 6-3 win, his second High 10 win in a row.
As has been the case all week in Paris, Auger-Aliassime took it to his opponents, firing 45 winners and 14 aces. Regardless of dropping serve for the primary time all match, he nonetheless gained 82 per cent of his first serve factors and solely confronted a single break level.
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Each males had been trying to execute related techniques which begged the query: who would do a greater job of utilizing their large forehand to get the ball out extensive to the opponent’s backhand aspect?
For probably the most half within the opening set, it was the Canadian going greater and pinning Ruud in his backhand nook. And when the Norwegian did get the ball to Auger-Aliassime’s weaker wing, the Canadian was hitting it brilliantly, even utilizing his backhand to bludgeon Ruud into defensive positions.
Consequently, Auger-Aliassime was capable of apply strain to the sixth seed’s serve early. Within the third recreation, he had a pair of appears to be like at a break however couldn’t convert. At 3-3, the Canadian upped the ante and threw every little thing at Ruud’s serve. Lastly, after lacking his first 4 break factors within the recreation, a deep return from Auger-Aliassime drew an error to maneuver forward 4-3.
The Canadian had gained his first three matches with out a lot as going through a break level on serve. He carried that stage into this match and as soon as he had the break, the result of the opening set was inevitable.
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Within the second set, Auger-Aliassime had a number of alternatives to place the match away however errors had been creeping in on the worst moments. He broke within the opening recreation however at 3-2 performed his worst service recreation of the match to drop serve for the primary time. He then had 4 break factors, together with a love-40 lead, at 4-4 however dedicated errors on every.
Then within the tiebreak, he led 3-0, had the match on his racquet at 5-4, and held match level at 6-5, however every time he let Ruud again into it. The Norwegian then gained a wild rally at 9-8 to ship the match to a deciding set.
Regardless of the missed alternatives, Auger-Aliassime instantly re-asserted his management firstly of the third set as Ruud faltered barely. Some poor selections from the Norwegian opened the door within the second recreation, included a weak drop shot that the Canadian ripped for a winner to arrange a break level. Ruud missed a routine backhand to give up the early break.
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This time, there was no blip from Auger-Aliassime to increase the match. Regardless of lacking a match level on Ruud’s serve at 5-2, he solely dropped three extra factors on serve the remainder of the best way after his preliminary break.
On Friday, Auger-Aliassime can guarantee himself of a medal with a semifinal win. Nonetheless, he may have his arms full with Carlos Alcaraz, who defeated him on this exact same court docket two months in the past on the French Open. Even a loss would see the Canadian play for bronze on Saturday.
Dabrowski, Auger-Aliassime to Play for Bronze
Auger-Aliassime’s first crack at a medal will come on Friday within the combined doubles with Gabriela Dabrowski. They had been overwhelmed within the semifinals in straight units by Katerina Siniakova and Tomas Mahac 6-3, 6-3.
The Czech pair overwhelmed the Canadians with their large hitting and slick web play. They dominated the break factors, saving seven of eight on their very own serve and transformed 4 of 9 on the Canadians’ supply.
Proper from the beginning, each groups had been making use of strain on the opposite’s serve. Mahac needed to dig himself out of a love-40 gap within the Czech’s first service recreation earlier than they broke Dabrowski within the subsequent recreation. However the Canadians responded instantly to interrupt Siniakova and even the set at 2-2.
Mahac once more needed to save a break level earlier than the Czechs continued to select on Dabrowski, breaking to like to maneuver forward 4-3. Auger-Aliassime almost put the set again on serve once more after teeing off on a Siniakova serve to arrange a break level however he punched a volley lengthy and the Czechs had been capable of consolidate the break.
Serving to remain within the set, Auger-Aliassime double faulted down set level to drop the opener.
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The Czechs continued to punish the Canadians for missed alternatives within the second set, once more breaking Dabrowski a recreation after they missed a break level on Mahac’s serve. Siniakova’s maintain for 3-0 was the seventh recreation in a row gained by the Czechs.
Whereas the Canadians managed to hold on to their serves for the rest of the match, they didn’t dig out of that early gap and the one break proved decisive.
They may play Wesley Koolhof and Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands for the bronze medal on Friday.
