GSTAAD, SWITZERLAND — Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime advanced to the quarterfinals of the Swiss Open clay-court tennis tournament with a 7-6 (6), 6-2 win over Germany's Yannick Hanfmann on Thursday.
Auger-Aliassime, the third seed at the tournament, broke Hanfmann twice late in the second set, including in the decisive eighth game.
Hanfmann started strong with an early break to go up 2-0 in the first set, but Auger-Aliassime got that break back in the seventh game.
The Canadian went down 4-1 in the first-set tiebreaker and later faced set point trailing 6-5, but won the next two points on return before converting set point on serve.
"It was a tough start from me. With the conditions, the wind, the altitude. I was glad I was able to come back in the first set, that was key," Auger-Aliassime said. "It was not always beautiful tennis.
"I started serving better after my first game. Returning also, finding the right position. I was testing things out in the first set … It was good to come back. It was good to find solutions."
Auger-Aliassime is next scheduled to face sixth seed Matteo Berrettini. The Italian leads the career series between the players 4-2.
Auger-Aliassime is scheduled to play in men's singles and doubles at the Paris Games starting next week and is using this tournament as a tune-up. Tennis at the Olympics will be held on the clay courts at Roland Garros, the site of the French Open.
On Monday, Auger-Aliassime and Swiss partner Dominic Stricker lost 6-4, 7-6 (4) to top seeds Jamie Murray of Britain and Czechia's Adam Pavlasek in the first round of doubles competition.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 18, 2024.
The Canadian Press
