MELBOURNE, Australia – Felix Auger-Aliassime continued his successful run at the Australian Open on Monday.
The 21-year-old Quebec will participate for the first time in his career in the quarterfinals of the Australian tournament. He qualified there thanks to a 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2, 7-6 (4) victory over Croatian Marin Cilic.
Auger-Aliassime, the 9th player in the world, however, started the game.
“He hit the ball with great precision, especially in the first set. “He was better than me,” he said bluntly in a post-match interview. The second round could go any way. »
Cilic struggled to maintain the rhythm he established early in the game where he dominated his opponent.
“It was in the third round that I started to take control,” Auger-Aliassime said.
Cilic scored a total of 60 errors without enforcement and eight double errors against 31 errors without enforcement and four double errors for his Canadian opponent.
“I had lost to Cilic three times, this is the first time I have won it in my career. It really made me work hard to get the win. I am mainly relieved that he is behind me. »
The duel lasted three hours and 35 minutes at the John Cain Arena. The temperature was still high on the pitch.
“I still feel good physically. “It is quite warm, but the shadows have reduced the heat,” he added.
Auger-Aliassime will face Russian Daniil Medvedev, the second seed of the tournament, in the next round.
The Russian confirmed his presence in the quarterfinals a few minutes later, when he defeated the American Maxime Cressy in four sets with 6-2, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (4), 7-5, on Monday.
Medvedev is trying to become the first male player of his professional season to win his second major singles title in the next Grand Slam tournament. Now he is probably three wins away from doing it.
Medvedev was Australia’s runner-up last year, but got his revenge with a victory over Novak Djokovic in the New York final. Djokovic is not defending his Australian title after being sent off on the eve of the start of the first major tournament of the year for failing to meet the country’s strict COVID-19 vaccination criteria.
Cressy’s service and volleyball style caused moments of frustration for Medvedev, who at the end of the fourth set mocked that it was “the most unlucky day of my life”. But his luck returned quickly. After saving eight break chances in the set, Cressi abandoned the break in that game and Medvedev served without losing a point.
Jannik Sinner, number 11, also finished the Australian’s last hope in the men’s draw, beating Alex de Minaur 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-4.
The temperature reached 34 degrees Celsius on the eighth day of the tournament, with players allowed extra breaks to cope with the heat.
