August 15, (THEWILL) – Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime ended a five-match losing streak with a comeback 4-6 6-2 6-3 victory over Italy’s Matteo Berrettini in the first round of the Cincinnati Open on Monday.
After dropping the first set when he was broken in the fifth game, Auger-Aliassime found his rhythm and took control of the match. He broke Berrettini early in the second set and never faced another break point, while capitalising on his own opportunities in the final set to close out the win.
“I wanted to have the best attitude and effort from start to finish today,” said Auger-Aliassime. “I was able to turn the frustration from the first set – having break points and losing them, not being careful enough with my service game – and turning that into something positive to bounce back really strong. It has been a challenging season. I’ve been very fortunate, every year I have grown in the game and improved my ranking but this year it’s a new challenge and I need to accept it as well.”
It was a much-needed boost for the 12th seed, who has struggled with injuries and confidence issues throughout the 2022 season. However, his strong serving and forehand ultimately overpowered Berrettini.
Auger-Aliassime, who improved to 14-13 this year, will next face France’s Adrian Mannarino, who he has never played before. The Canadian will look to sustain his momentum when they meet in the second round. He will be hoping drier weather allows him to continue his Cincinnati run when he returns to the court on Tuesday.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
