(New York) Felix Auger-Aliassime was defeated in the first round of the U.S. Open on Monday, with American Mackenzie McDonald winning 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-1, 6 -4 against the Quebecer.
Fifteenth seed, Auger-Aliassime dropped the flag in three and a half hours ahead of McDonald, 40e in the ATP rankings.
The American had a 4-2 break advantage against Auger-Aliassime, who committed 52 unforced errors.
The Quebecer committed two double faults in a first deadlock that had become tight, after the American took a 3-1 lead. His second such foul conceded the set to McDonald.
PHOTO FRANK FRANKLIN II, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Felix Auger-Aliassime
Auger-Aliassime won the second set with his second break of the game. He offered more convincing play in this set, where he won the sixth game to nil after a break that gave him a 3-2 lead.
A 28-year-old Californian, McDonald was intractable in the third inning, picking up two breaks. He took a 4-1 lead when the Canadian missed a spike, then 5-1 after a heavily brushed ball that gave his rival trouble. The seventh game of the set ended in zero, after a powerful serve from McDonald.
In the final set, McDonald scored the last of his breaks to take a 4-3 lead, then followed it up with a game-winning serve.
Auger-Aliassime narrowed the gap to 5-4 and led 40-0 in the next game, before dropping five points in a row to concede the game. Once the score was 40-15, he allowed points by a ball hit on the frame, one off target on the side, one too deep and a final one missing the target on the side.
In the second round, McDonald will face Croatian Borna Gojo, who defeated Bolivian Hugo Dellien.
Opposed to the Greek Stéfanos Tsitsipás, seventh seed, the Ontarian Milos Raonic was beaten 6-2, 6-3 and 6-4. Tsitsipás collected five of the game’s six breaks, taking advantage of more than 48 unforced errors from the Canadian.
“He’s trying to get back to the top level, so I knew he had nothing to lose and I had to play my best tennis. I made the game physical and it worked,” Tsitsipás said.
Former world number three in 2016, Raonic was sidelined for almost two years due to injuries. The 32-year-old Canadian, who played his last match in July 2021 in Atlanta, has been back on the circuit since June in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.
PHOTO FRANK FRANKLIN II, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Milos Raonic
Quebecer Leylah Annie Fernandez, 67e in the world, will play this Tuesday from 11 a.m. against the Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova, 22e first in the series. Their record against each other is 1-1 from games played last year.
British Columbian Rebecca Marino will also be in action this Tuesday against Romanian Patricia Maria Țig.
With Agence France-Presse
