(Turin) Montreal’s Félix Auger-Aliassime started his first career outing at the ATP Tennis Finals on a losing note, suffering a straight-set loss 7-6 (4), 6-4 at the hands of the Norwegian Casper Ruud on Sunday in Turin.

In this duel between two rising stars of men’s tennis, Ruud and Auger-Aliassime being ranked fourth and sixth at the ATP, it was the 23-year-old Norwegian who had the best thanks to a crucial break, the only one in the game, in the second inning.

The break came in the seventh game when Auger-Aliassime double-faulted as he trailed 15-40.

In the next game, Auger-Aliassime was given an opening when he won the first two points on Ruud’s serve.

The latter reacted by winning the next three points before protecting his serve and solidifying the break, to build a 5-3 lead.

The 22-year-old Montrealer easily won the ninth game, forcing Ruud to win the duel on his serve.

Equipped with two match points, the Norwegian ended the clash at his first opportunity when Auger-Aliassime returned his opponent’s first serve far outside the sideline, after 1h 50 minutes of stock.

“I think I offered a level of play among the best, for me, since the United States Open,” analyzed Ruud, who lost in the final of this tournament last September against the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz.

“Over the past two months it’s been a bit difficult, I have to admit, but it’s something you have to accept,” added Ruud. You’re going to face tough times in your career, and maybe that’s what happened in the last two months. No matter how hard you train, if you don’t win a game, it doesn’t mean much. Today was a great victory for me. »

Auger-Aliassime’s failure in the seventh game of the second set ruined another very solid performance by the Montrealer on his serve.

Auger-Aliassime had 14 aces against just three double faults, hit 64% of his first serves, and won 84% of the points after placing his first ball in play. However, he only won 57% of the points on his second service ball.

By comparison, Ruud had five aces, double faulted, hit 66% of his first serves, and won 75% of the points after lodging his first live ball. Ruud also won 78% of the points on his second serve ball. service.

Servers dominate

Auger-Aliassime hit half of his aces in the first set, which both players completely dominated on serve to the point of not conceding any break points in the first 12 games.

In the tiebreaker, Auger-Aliassime was the first to relent when he double faulted, his first of the game, which gave Ruud a 4-2 lead.

Auger-Aliassime recovered that mini-break two points later when Ruud sent the ball just outside the sideline.

However, faced with a 4-5 decline, the Montrealer lost the next two points on his serve, and the set, in 59 minutes.

He first sent a backhand outside the sideline and then a forehand that flew over the baseline.

Auger-Aliassime came into the game with a career losing record of 1-2 against Ruud, including a stinging 6-1, 6-2 loss in the quarterfinals of the National Bank Open last August in Montreal.

On the other hand, he could also boast of having experienced a streak of 16 victories in October which allowed him to win three tournaments played indoors and on hard surfaces – conditions identical to those in place at the ATP Finals – at Florence, Antwerp and Basel.

This streak had also helped him to reach the semi-finals of the Masters 1000 in Paris, where he however lost his flag against the Dane Holger Rune, eventual winner of the tournament, last Saturday.

Later on Sunday, American Taylor Fritz defeated Spaniard Rafael Nadal in straight sets 7-6 (3), 6-1.

Nadal, the tournament’s first seed, was broken twice in the second set, allowing Fritz to race away with the win.

The Red Group brings together Novak Djokovic, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev. These players will play their first match on Monday as Medvedev takes on Rublev and Djokovic takes on Tsitsipas.

In the Green Group, Auger-Aliassime will face Nadal on Tuesday, while Ruud will cross swords with Fritz.