Félix Auger-Aliassime noticed his 2024 Olympics come to an finish on Saturday in Paris with a fourth-place end within the singles after a decent loss to Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti within the bronze-medal match.
In a decent affair, it was Musetti’s consistency that narrowly received the day as he wore Auger-Aliassime down to say a 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 win and the bronze medal.
Auger-Aliassime is not going to be leaving Paris empty-handed, nevertheless, having received the bronze within the combined doubles with Gabriela Dabrowski on Friday. A win over Musetti would have made the Canadian the one tennis participant on the 2024 Olympics to win a number of medals.
It was a really even match with little between the 2 males. Musetti was simply in a position to apply a bit extra strain on return, successful 69 per cent of the Canadians second serve factors and making a dozen break level possibilities. Auger-Aliassime solely had 4 possibilities to interrupt within the match.
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A sluggish begin put Auger-Aliassime behind the eight ball early, as he struggled within the lengthy rallies in opposition to Musetti’s deep, spin-heavy floor strokes. It took 5 tries, however the Italian was in a position to break within the opening recreation when Auger-Aliassime pushed a backhand huge.
All the pieces was clicking for Musetti early, even whipping out a profitable tweener, however Auger-Aliassime began to choose up his degree because the set went alongside. At 4-3, the Canadian used his heavy forehand to arrange a break level and Musetti failed on a serve-and-volley to place the set again on serve.
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Nevertheless it was a short-lived comeback as Auger-Aliassime fell down love-40 within the very subsequent recreation and, regardless of saving the primary two break factors, put a forehand into the online to instantly had the break again. Musetti promptly served out the set to like.
One rally early within the second set appeared to flip the momentum. At 1-0, 30-all on Musetti’s serve, Auger-Aliassime outlasted the Italian in a titantic rally, finally placing away a volley to arrange a break level. He then launched a deep return that drew an error for a 2-0 lead.
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All of a sudden, it was the Canadian within the ascendancy. He had all of the solutions, together with an ace on the lone break level he confronted within the following recreation, and even fired a backhand winner down the road at 4-1 to make it a double break, which was loads to ship the bronze-medal match to a deciding set.
Musetti’s degree had dropped a bit within the second, however he bounced again early within the decider. Auger-Aliassime discovered himself beneath strain on serve and, regardless of a formidable show of energy tennis to flee two break factors within the fourth recreation, he fired a forehand into the online on break level at 3-4 to arrange the Italian to serve out the win.
Auger-Aliassime now heads dwelling to play in his hometown Nationwide Financial institution Open in Montreal.