Turin [Italy], November 12 : Felix Auger-Aliassime showcased his trademark composure and indoor mastery on Wednesday, pulling off a thrilling comeback win over Ben Shelton to keep his semi-final hopes alive at the Nitto ATP Finals, as per the official website of ATP.
The 25-year-old Canadian was just two points away from defeat in a tense second-set tie-break but showed remarkable grit to turn the match around, eventually sealing a 4-6, 7-6(7), 7-5 victory in two hours and 25 minutes. Despite constant pressure from Shelton's aggressive serve-and-volley game, Auger-Aliassime held his nerve to record his 20th deciding-set win of the season.
"He was playing much better than me at the start," Auger-Aliassime said, as quoted from the official website of ATP.
"It's not often that I get broken twice in the first set indoors... It was a weird start, but as the match went on I was finding ways to put returns in the court. Once we engaged in the rallies, I felt like I could win more. You just have to fight, believe, and play the next point the right way," he noted.
The win keeps him in contention for a place in the semi-finals at the prestigious season-ending event for the first time. After losing his opening match to defending champion Jannik Sinner, Auger-Aliassime now holds a 1-1 record in the Bjorn Borg Group and will next face third seed Alexander Zverev in his final round-robin encounter on Friday.
There were concerns over Auger-Aliassime's fitness following an injury scare in his first match, but he brushed aside any doubts with a confident performance against Shelton. Ironically, it was the American who suffered a tumble during the second-set tie-break, where a crucial double fault on set point allowed Auger-Aliassime back into the contest.
"I felt great, physically. We recovered well, did the right things," said Auger-Aliassime, as quoted from the official website of ATP.
"Today I was able to play two-and-a-half hours of high-intensity tennis. I have to give him credit, he kept coming up with great serves. When the opponent plays that well, you have to give him credit, but also to myself for staying cool," he noted.
Ranked No. 8, Auger-Aliassime has built a strong reputation as one of the best players on indoor hard courts, with 84 career wins in such conditions this decade. Once he levelled the match, he found his rhythm on serve and maintained control to clinch victory, improving to 2-0 in his head-to-head record against Shelton.
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