Tennis

Master of Paris Auger-Aliassime continues his momentum, Alcaraz eliminated from the start

Published

2 years ago

October 31, 2023

Nancy

Master of Paris Auger-Aliassime continues his momentum, Alcaraz eliminated from the start

(Paris) Félix Auger-Aliassime continued his momentum started last week in Basel by easily defeating Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6 (3), 6-4 in the second round of the Paris Tennis Masters on Tuesday.

Auger-Aliassime concluded the duel presented at the Palais omnisports de Bercy after one hour and 38 minutes. Auger-Aliassime successfully defended his title in Basel, Switzerland last weekend and now has five career ATP Tour titles.

The Quebecer will now meet seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who obtained a bye for the second round.

It was the third career clash between Auger-Aliassime and Struff, 27^e world racket. The two tennis players had shared the honors of the two previous duels, presented in 2020.

Auger-Aliassime and Struff engaged in a very tough duel, especially in the first round.

Both players held serve throughout the first set, before Auger-Aliassime quickly took a 6-1 lead in the tiebreaker.

The 23-year-old tennis player sealed the outcome of the round shortly after, going to the net to deliver an unstoppable drop shot. The first round thus ended after 48 minutes of play.

Auger-Aliassime kept up the pressure at the start of the second set, giving Struff a lot of trouble before he finally won the point on serve after almost 15 minutes. The Quebecer came back to attack in the fourth game, and this time he hit the mark against the German to take the lead 3-1.

Carried by an excellent return of service game, incisive shots and great aggression, Auger-Aliassime continued on his way to bring the score to 5-4. He then sealed the outcome of the match on serve with the second of his three match points, following a long rally.

Auger-Aliassime totaled 17 aces, compared to seven for Struff, and he dominated his opponent 41-22 in winning shots. His only missteps occurred on double faults (5-3) and unforced errors (12-8), where he was more generous than Struff.

In the other matches on Tuesday, world No.2 Carlos Alcaraz was surprised from the outset by the Russian from qualifying Roman Safiullin (45^e) 6-3, 6-4 in the second round on Tuesday.

PHOTO JULIEN DE ROSA, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Carlos Alcaraz

Alcaraz, exempt from the first round, returned to the competition after giving up playing in Basel the previous week, with a sore left foot and back. It now remains for the young Spaniard, who has not lifted a trophy since his epic coronation at Wimbledon at the expense of Novak Djokovic in July, to honor as best as possible the last major meeting of the season, the Masters which will bring together the eight best players in the world in Turin (Italy).

“I still have a little discomfort in the sole of my foot, it’s not 100% resolved, but […] it’s much less present than before,” admitted “Carlitos” on Monday.

“It’s the end of the season, which has been very long, demanding, it’s normal for problems to appear, we have to deal with them, play as best as possible while managing these problems,” he added.

With his initial defeat, Alcaraz is not doing well in his duel with Novak Djokovic for the throne of world No.1 at the end of the season.

Alcaraz had a break in the lead in both sets on Tuesday evening (2-1 in the first, 3-1 in the second), but each time, visibly lacking in pep, he allowed Safiullin to come back. And the resistance of the 26-year-old Russian, quarter-finalist at Wimbledon in July, ended up getting the better of him.

Alexander Zverev and Hubert Hurkacz remained in the hunt for one of the last three spots available for the ATP Finals after winning their second-round match.

PHOTO STÉPHANIE LECOCQ, REUTERS

Alexander Zverev came from behind to defeat Hungarian Marton Fucsovics 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.

Zverev, 10^e top seed, came from behind to defeat Hungarian Marton Fucsovics 4-6, 7-5 and 6-4, while Hurkacz, finalist in Basel last weekend, took the measure of American Sebastian Korda 6-3, 6-7 (6) and 6-3.

“It’s been a real roller coaster,” admitted Hurkacz, 11^e seeded after his victory. I tried a reset, to change my energy level in the third set. I was aware of the importance of this match, and I gave everything I had left in the tank. »

Before the Paris Masters, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner and Andrey Rublev had all already qualified for the ATP Finals, the last tournament of the season which will bring together the eight best players in the world in Turin, in Italy, from November 12 to 19.

In the other matches on the program, Dusan Lajovic defeated Benjamin Bonzi 7-5, 6-3, while Tomas Martin Etcheverry defeated Miomir Kecmanovic 4-6, 7-6 (6) and 6-4. This victory set the table for a duel against Djokovic, the tournament favorite.

with Agence France-Presse

Source: lapresse

Nancy

I am a sports journalist who has worked in print and online. I have authored articles for a sports website and have covered sports news for over 6 years.

Tennis

Australian Open Auger-Aliassime cherishes mentoring role for Mboko

Published

2 hours ago

January 16, 2026

Nancy

Australian Open Auger-Aliassime cherishes mentoring role for Mboko

(Melbourne) When Canadian tennis star Félix Auger-Aliassime looks at the young and promising Victoria Mboko, who is only 19 years old, the 25-year-old Montrealer feels the weight of time passing.

It seems not so long ago that Auger-Aliassime took the path that Mboko is about to follow. He was a precocious teenager, so gifted and so young that his life was turned upside down in an instant.

And he can offer some tips for keeping things in perspective.

“Maybe if you’re a big movie star and you reach a certain status, it’s hard to come down. But I’ve had experiences where you can be in the top 10 and then lose a few games and people are like, “Oh, he’s not like that anymore.” They treat you differently,” Auger-Aliassime said.

“You go on the court and you always have to face a player who wants to beat you, even more so when you have moved up the ranks. Tennis therefore quickly humbles you. »

Mboko started the year 2025 at 333^e place in the ranking. At the end of the season, she had won the prestigious Omnium Banque Nationale in Montreal and was featured in the top 20 of the WTA rankings.

Honors quickly followed: the tributes and hype, the media requests and the courtside seats at Toronto Raptors games.

And even the ultimate status symbol for a successful tennis player: a new role as an ambassador for Rolex.

But Mboko says she has remained the same person.

“So much has happened in the past year and I have had so many new experiences that it has of course changed my current life. I’ve had to adapt pretty quickly, but I’m still surrounded by the same people and I feel like I haven’t really changed, personality-wise. »

Auger-Aliassime took advantage of the opportunity offered to him to chat with the big names in tennis. He said that when you meet them backstage, you get the impression that they are still 18 years old. They continue to clown around and tell the same jokes.

Only public perception changes.

“As you move around the venue and the hotels, people treat you a little differently. You need to be surrounded by the right people who can tell you the truth and not just what you want to hear,” he said.

Mboko’s larger-than-life image can be seen on the Australian Open website, where she is part of a quartet billed as the “new faces making waves”.

She is alongside 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva, who is already in the top 10, and 24-year-old Jack Draper, who also reached the top 10 before an arm injury hampered his progress.

The fourth player is Joao Fonseca, a Brazilian five days older than Mboko, for whom the hype has been so intense that some are disappointed he is not already competing with world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and No. 2 Jannik Sinner for Grand Slam titles.

Mboko understands this.

“Unless you win every tournament, you’re going to lose every week. So I think you have to adapt, accept that and use it as a lesson to improve the following week,” she said.

“Of course, the goal is to be more consistent and try to find my place on the circuit this year. »

For Mboko, who experienced an understandable decline after her triumph in Montreal, but who pulled herself together and concluded 2025 with a title in Hong Kong, the 2026 season looks very different.

She is traveling to Australia for the first time as a professional. And everything changed.

But one thing remains true: Mboko fights against stage fright before each match. This is one of the reasons why it can sometimes have a difficult start.

Auger-Aliassime explains that it is simply a process.

“I don’t think even players in their 30s can say they have it all figured out,” he says. We always try to improve, but we learn. Even at 15 or 16 years old, when you play a junior Grand Slam final […] at that moment, it’s the pinnacle, and you feel this pressure and anxiety.

“Before matches, I had moments where I could barely breathe, sort of. But as you play more and more matches, you find a way to calm down. And then you feel less stressed. Today, at 25, no match really scares me. »

The spotlight will be on the two young Canadians when the Australian Open kicks off on Sunday.

Auger-Aliassime has been through this before and wants to take the final steps towards his first Grand Slam title.

For Mboko, this is all still very new. But this year, after what she accomplished in 2025, she is no longer the hunter, but the prey.

This is a new phase of his career. And a new opportunity to learn.

Source: lapresse

Nancy

I am a sports journalist who has worked in print and online. I have authored articles for a sports website and have covered sports news for over 6 years.

Tennis

VIDEO. Maestro at work: Federer wins tiebreaker against Ruud at Aus Open

Published

5 hours ago

January 16, 2026

Nancy

VIDEO. Maestro at work: Federer wins tiebreaker against Ruud at Aus Open

44-year-old legendary Swiss former tennis player Roger Federer He arrived in Melbourne to attend the opening ceremony of the Australian Open 2026.

On January 16, Roger started training with the Norwegian team. Casper Ruudand then played a tiebreaker with him. Switzerland won with a score of 7:2.

The best moments of tennis matches LIVE on Telegram channel Tennis on Sport.ua

Federer won the Australian Open trophy six times in his career. Roger retired from his professional career in September 2022.

Main rule matches of the Australian Major start on January 18. Ruud, ranked 12th, will face Mattia Bellucci in the first round.

VIDEO. Maestro at work: Federer wins tiebreaker against Ruud at Aus Open

PHOTOGRAPH. Roger Federer beat Casper Ruud in tiebreaker

Source: Sport UA

Nancy

I am a sports journalist who has worked in print and online. I have authored articles for a sports website and have covered sports news for over 6 years.

Tennis

PHOTOGRAPH. Kichenok receives consolation prize after WTA 500 final in Adelaide

Published

7 hours ago

January 16, 2026

Nancy

PHOTOGRAPH. Kichenok receives consolation prize after WTA 500 final in Adelaide

January 16 Ukrainian tennis player Lyudmila Kichenok and her partner Desiree Krawczyk lost to Katerina Siniakova/Zhang Shuai in the final of the WTA 500 tournament in Adelaide, Australia.

The Ukrainian and the Americans lost in two sets with scores of 1:6 and 4:6 in 1 hour and 10 minutes. This was the first head-to-head meeting between the duo, and Lyudmila and Desiree held their first joint competition since 2019.

After the final match, an awards ceremony was held where consolation prizes were given to Kichenok and Krawczyk.

For Lyudmila, it was the 25th final in her career and the first since June 2025. Kichenok fought for the 12th trophy in his career.

PHOTOGRAPH. Kichenok receives consolation prize after WTA 500 final in Adelaide

Source: Sport UA

Nancy

I am a sports journalist who has worked in print and online. I have authored articles for a sports website and have covered sports news for over 6 years.