ROTTERDAM | Less effective on serve with a first-ball success rate of just 50 percent, Félix Auger-Aliassime still made the 3rde th round of the ABN Amro Open with a win this morning in straight sets 6-4 and 6-3 against Frenchman Grégoire Barrère.
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With full control and serve for the first set at 5-3, the 3rd seed was broken for the first time in the tournament, but he responded immediately by administering the same medicine to Grégoire, who had reached the peloton through the round. qualifications.
In set number two, Auger-Aliassime erased a break point in the 5th game before breaking his opponent in the 8th to progress to victory, his 11th in 12 games in his last two Rotterdam appearances.
“I didn’t play at my highest level or play the most brilliant match,” agreed Auger-Aliassime, but mentally it’s very good to have found solutions and stayed calm in heated moments in the second set. I have found a zone of calm.”
Auger-Aliassime blamed himself for the break of serve but he hit back well. “I had a very bad game at 5:3,” he summed up. I made a double fault starting, two unforced faults and another double fault to finish. It all happened very quickly, but I was able to recover immediately. It’s one of my strengths to close when I’m serving for the set or the match, but that happens to everyone.