Auger-Aliassime claimed a big comeback victory over Sinner in the Cincinnati last-16.
Felix Auger-Aliassime admitted that 10th-seeded Jannik Sinner was playing great at the start of their match and noted that winning such a match means a lot for his confidence. In the Cincinnati last-16, seventh-seeded Auger-Aliassime recovered from a slow start and saved two match points to beat Sinner 2-6 7-6 (1) 6-1.
“Jannik was just playing too good. I didn’t have a great start, I was missing a lot. But I just had no time. He was playing so fast, so precise, serving well. For a set and a half, it was just too good,” Auger-Aliassime said after the win, per the ATP website.
“That game he broke me in the second, returning on the baseline for three returns in a row, you can’t do much better, so I had to give it to him. But at the end, I was still on the court trying to find ways, trying to fight and trying to see how I could make him miss a few more balls and to put myself in a competing position and I did that well.
To come back and play that way in the tie-break and the third set, that means a lot to me going forward.”
Auger-Aliassime was on the verge of losing in two sets
Sinner came out firing as he broke Auger-Aliassime twice to easily win the first set.
After winning the first set, Sinner claimed the first break of the second set in the sixth game to open a 4-2 lead. Down by a set and a break, Auger-Aliassime broke back Sinner in the seventh game of the second set. Then, Auger-Aliassime saved two consecutive match points in the 12th game to force a tie-break.
After saving two match points, Auger-Aliassime started the tie-break with a 4-0 lead. There was no coming back for Sinner from a 4-0 deficit as Auger-Aliassime realized his first set point to force a decider. Sinner paid the price for failing to close out the match in two sets as Auger-Aliassime broke the Italian twice in the third set to complete a big comeback victory.
