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This image is of Félix Auger-Aliassime, though he misplaced his Wimbledon opening-round match 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(9), 7-6(5) to Maxime Cressy of the U.S. on Tuesday.
Auger-Aliassime is extensively admired in tennis as one of many sport’s most interesting gamers, athletes and all-around good guys. He’s additionally a participant who takes unfailingly good motion footage. Since he’s not within the match, and that is the final alternative to characteristic him, it appeared acceptable to characteristic him on the high right here.
The match with Cressy, a 6-foot-6 serve-and-volleyer was all the time going to be a problem for any participant within the draw. The 25-year-old American was coming in off a last on the ATP 250 occasion in Eastbourne final week and his outlier large serve and correct volley recreation isn’t straightforward to take care of as a result of it’s distinctive, and since he performs it so nicely. There’s additionally a daredevil side to it – particularly the best way he hits second serves within the 120 mph-plus vary.
A type of led to a vital level within the match when he belted one 126 mph, which Auger-Aliassime couldn’t deal with, to go forward 10-9 within the pivotal third-set tiebreak. Auger-Aliassime double-faulted on the next level and that marked a significant momentum shift within the match.
There had already been a pair of set factors for every participant within the tiebreak and Cressy cashing in on the third one was a game-changer.
In regards to the Cressy recreation fashion of going for broke on the second serve, Auger-Aliassime stated, “I’d watched him play final week and I knew that’s what he did. I attempted to differ my place on first serves and second serves – whether or not to present me extra time or to chop off the angles. Typically it labored and I made good returns. However it didn’t shock me – I knew it might be like that. What impressed me is that he had so few (9) double faults and, particularly within the necessary moments when there’s rigidity, he served simply as arduous, and generally proper on the road. He took dangers and virtually each time they labored.”
Cressy served-and-volleyed 120 occasions through the match, successful 88 of these, together with the ultimate one which ended the four-hour and 10-minute match on Courtroom 3.
Auger-Aliassime had predicted earlier than the match that it might most likely come right down to only a few factors, and fatefully he was proper. “I’ve had matches this 12 months which have turned on only a few factors and issues went my method and after that, I’d proceed within the match and everybody forgets,” he stated. “I made the quarter-finals of the Australian Open however I used to be near dropping by a simply few factors within the second spherical [a 7-6(4), 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 7-6(4) win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina]. At the moment I simply misplaced by just a few factors. I feel that sometime I’ve bought to not dwell on a tightrope – I’ve bought to discover a method to win extra simply towards guys who require an excellent degree like him (Cressy).”
Momentarily rising above his disappointment, he added with a contact of humour about Cressy, “I hope that subsequent 12 months he’ll be a seed and I gained’t must play him within the first spherical.”
Auger-Aliassime stated in regards to the rangy American’s serve, “I knew it was coming, however the high quality of the serve was spectacular. I’ve to say I’ve performed the likes of John Isner, Milos (Raonic), (Reilly) Opelka – he’s with these guys.”
Auger-Aliassime isn’t leaving grass-court tennis, he’ll play the ATP 250 occasion in Newport, Rhode Island, starting the week of July 11, after which plans to alter to arduous courts for the week of August 1 on the Los Cabos, Mexico, ATP 250 occasion that leads into the Nationwide Financial institution Open offered by Rogers in Montreal per week later.
Again within the pleasant confines of the All England Garden Tennis Membership the place he was a 2021 semi-finalist, Denis Shapovalov broke his six-match dropping streak – together with three in a row on grass – to defeat Arthur Rinderknech of France 6-1, 6-7(6), 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-1 in three hours and 23 minutes on Courtroom 16 on Tuesday.
These bookend 6-1 units say one thing about his dominance – a bit of extra success within the tiebreaks may need made it easier. Nonetheless, he was down a service break within the fourth set earlier than instantly breaking again after which taking management for good.
Shapovalov was a formidable 86 per cent of first-serve factors gained and 63 per cent on second serve. His break level conversion price was 7/15 to simply 1/6 for Rinderknech. “I felt like I began the match rather well,” he stated. “Two units that I misplaced, after all I’d prefer to take again some double faults (9 in all), some choices. However it’s tennis and I am going for my serve. So it’s going to occur. However I nonetheless felt like I used to be the higher participant on the court docket.”
He added in regards to the win, “it’s positively a confidence booster. Matches like that all the time flip your perspective round. Once more, that’s why I like or I like to play Grand Slams. I’m joking with my staff – I really feel like I’m beginning to love five-set matches. I do love the lengthy battle and having time to show it round and having that additional little little bit of time to determine issues out.”
His subsequent match on Thursday shall be towards No. 56-ranked ranked Brandon Nakashima. It’s a primary assembly between No. 16-ranked Shapovalov and the 20-year-old American. “I’ve seen him round, by no means performed him,” Shapovalov stated. “(He) seems like a very strong participant – doesn’t actually have so many weaknesses. Large serve general. So it’s going to be an attention-grabbing match. Undoubtedly simply glad to get by way of in the present day and have an opportunity to play one other match.”
Whereas Auger-Aliassime and Shapovalov have been concerned in highly-competitive, intense opening encounters, Bianca Andreescu was in full management from first ball to final in hers – defeating qualifier Emina Bektas 6-1, 6-3 in 55 minutes on Courtroom 14.
Andreescu’s superiority confirmed in her winners to unforced ratio of 28/9 in comparison with 11/13 for the 29-year-old American. “I feel I used to be serving nicely, returning nicely, I used to be very centered,” she stated. “I didn’t underestimate or overestimate my opponent going into the match. I felt like from A to Z, I feel I performed rather well.”
It’s arduous to consider {that a} participant who has gained the US Open (2019) and ranked as excessive as No. 4, had by no means earlier than gained a main-draw match at Wimbledon. “I used to be truly speaking to my coach (Abdul Sillah) about my first time (2017) at Wimbledon,” Andreescu stated. “It was nice. Like my first three qualies matches I used to be killing it on the different website (Roehampton). I am going to the primary website (first spherical towards Kristina Kucova of Slovakia) and I fully froze. I keep in mind I couldn’t put a forehand within the court docket. So trying again at that, and at last getting a win right here in the primary draw means rather a lot to me. That was like 5 years in the past.”
In Thursday’s second spherical, Andreescu will face the No. 17 seed, No. 23-ranked Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan. “I do know Rybakina serves nicely,” Andreescu stated. “So I bought some good feeling on enjoying an opponent (Bektas) with a very good serve. I feel I’m going to anticipate a little bit of a more durable match simply, you realize, rally-wise and perhaps speed-wise. I’ve practiced along with her a few occasions, so I sort of know the way she hits (however) not on grass. I used to be hitting along with her on arduous. However I do know she fights actually arduous – so I’ve bought to battle tougher.”
Function Picture: Martin Sidorjak
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