Felix Auger-Aliassime experienced the bustling nature of New York City firsthand during his late-night match at the U.S. Open. Despite a 55-minute rain delay and a grueling three-hour, 19-minute battle on the court, the Montreal tennis sensation emerged victorious in his first-round singles match against Rinky Hijiata from Australia, winning 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.
Reflecting on the match, Auger-Aliassime acknowledged the challenges posed by his opponent, stating, “We’ve known each other since we were like 10 years old, but this is the first time we’ve played one another. He caused me a lot of problems out there… but most importantly, I’m through to the next round.”
During the intense showdown, the Canadian showcased his skills with 17 aces, 48 winners, and 11 double faults, along with 50 unforced errors. Auger-Aliassime secured victory by winning 18 out of 22 service games and six out of 21 return games. His next opponent will be Russian player Karen Khachanov, who defeated Roman Burruchaga of Argentina in straight sets.
In other U.S. Open updates, Denis Shapovalov from Richmond Hill, Ont., is set to compete in his second-round men’s singles match against Luca Van Assche of France on Wednesday. Shapovalov’s previous victory against Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia paved the way for this upcoming match. Additionally, Leylah Fernandez from Laval, Que., will face off against Mananchaya Sawangkaew of Thailand in her second-round women’s singles match after clinching a straight-sets win against Shuai Zhang of China in the previous round.
The U.S. Open action continues to unfold with thrilling matchups and impressive performances from the talented tennis players competing at Flushing Meadows.
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