Before the draw, Félix Auger-Aliassime was wary of his first-round clash once morest Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori. He was right to be on his guard.
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He had his hands full in the night from Monday to Tuesday, but he managed to win in five sets (6-4, 0-6, 3-6, 6-3 and 6-4).
After a hard-fought first round at the Australian Open, “FAA” had a bad patch in the next two. During this sequence, Ruusuvuori (90th in the world) won seven consecutive games. Everything he hit turned into winners.
Trailing 2-1 in the sets, Fred Fontang’s protege remained calm. He got to work. Auger-Aliassime found his first service ball along the way. When she is not at the rendezvous, the 21-year-old athlete has difficulty imposing the rhythm of the exchanges.
“It was not an easy day,” explained the Quebecer. I believe that the scores demonstrate this well. »
“We had to negotiate with different conditions from the last few days. It was colder and windier. I had to adapt, he added. On the other hand, my opponent played an excellent match. I have always held him in high esteem. He’s a good player and he showed it. »
Pushed from all sides
During the duel, Ruusuvuori managed to destabilize “FAA” with his forehand. He was able to put the pressure on the ninth racket in the world consistently.
“He forced me to review my strategy several times during the match because he was playing very well,” Auger-Aliassime admitted.
Sometimes that’s how the first round matches are. In the end, all matches are tough and I’m just happy that I found a way to win. »
The ninth favorite also lacked opportunism on certain occasions. He converted just four of his 17 break points for a 24% save rate. By taking more advantage of his chances, he might have broken Ruusuvuori’s confidence in key moments.
He kept his focus even though he rode through a storm in the second and third innings. In the not so distant past, Auger-Aliassime would have had less control over his emotions. He might have escaped victory.
Perfection does not exist
A player rarely plays perfect games during a season. Auger-Aliassime confirms this.
“In a great season, you get five, maybe ten at the most. So the majority of duels can go either way. Against Ruusuvuori, it was very difficult for me. »
“In the middle of the game, I mightn’t find a way to play well,” he continued. Then I started to play more relaxed. I started to serve better and move my opponent more. »
On Wednesday evening, Auger-Aliassime will face the Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, 51st player in the world.
