Cincinnati [US], August 15 : The 12th-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime dug deep for a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory over Matteo Berrettini in a tight first-round meeting at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati.
Auger-Aliassime won his second ATP Head2Head match against the Italian after dropping the first set on Grandstand.
Auger-Aliassime arrived in Ohio on a five-match losing streak and was given one of the toughest first-round draws available in seven-time tour-level winner Berrettini. Nonetheless, Auger-Aliassime outhit the Italian by 25 winners to 13 on his way to a two-hour, 25-minute confidence-boosting victory.
“It’s a big win. It’s been a tough year, dealing with new things. Every win that I get, I’m happy, from now on. Of course, the tournament has just started and I want to go further. I still have high ambitions. I never doubted myself," ATP quoted Auger-Aliassime as saying.
“There are comments right and left, but at the end of the day, I know my tennis didn’t leave me. I know I can still play great tennis and I’ve proved it today again. So I’m going to try to keep going that way and it’s a positive start. Let’s try to keep this rolling," he added.
Auger-Aliassime missed two break-point opportunities in the final game of the first set, allowing Berrettini to take the lead in their first meeting in 2023. He subsequently admitted that disappointment had motivated him as he converted three of the four break points he gained in the second and third sets for a hard-fought victory between two players attempting to reclaim their top level.
“I think I was able to turn my frustration from the first set and from the missed opportunities and errors into something positive," said the 23-year-old.
"I think I had that fire inside that I didn’t want to quit on anything during this match and it’s great that it turned out my way. I’ve been training well, trying my best, and when the results [come] it is a great feeling. I’m very relieved, it’s a good win, and the effort has to keep going now," he added.
His second-round opponent at the Lindner Family Tennis Center will be Adrian Mannarino, who prevailed 6-4, 6-3 in an all-French encounter with Richard Gasquet on Sunday.
“Every match is different. I can’t take anything for granted. It was a tough first round, but it’s not going to get any easier. The lesson is just to take that type of energy that I had today and just bring it day after day and see how far that leads me," said Auger-Aliassime.
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