In a unprecedented show of ability, endurance, and psychological fortitude, Félix Auger-Aliassime emerged victorious over Dominic Thiem in a gruelling five-set match to kick off the 2024 Australian Open.
The practically five-hour marathon ended with a scoreline of 6-3, 7-5, 6–7(5), 5–7, 6-3, marking a big milestone in Auger-Aliassime’s profession, his longest match.
Auger-Aliassime’s victory salvaged a tough day for the Canadian males as each Milos Raonic and Denis Shapovalov have been eradicated.
A Match of Highs and Lows
From the onset, the match was a spectacle of high-quality tennis. Auger-Aliassime began strongly, taking the primary two units with a mix of highly effective serves and precision baseline play. He notched up a powerful 16 aces in opposition to Thiem’s 15, showcasing his serving prowess.
Nonetheless, Thiem, identified for his resilience, fought again valiantly. Regardless of shedding the primary two units, he managed to clinch the third set in a decent tiebreak and continued his comeback by profitable the fourth set to set the stage for a dramatic fifth set.
Within the decider, the Canadian was in a position to reverse the momentum early and raced out to a 3-0 lead, which was sufficient cushion to say victory.
The match statistics mirror the closeness of the competition. Auger-Aliassime received a complete of 182 factors, whereas Thiem struck a exceptional 57 winners. The Canadian’s profitable percentages on first and second serves have been 77 per cent and 58 per cent, respectively, and he efficiently transformed 5 of his 13 break factors.
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Then again, Thiem’s efficiency was marred by 66 unforced errors and eight double faults, elements that finally tilted the match in Auger-Aliassime’s favour.
This match marked the second encounter between Auger-Aliassime and Thiem. Their first assembly was on the 2020 US Open, the place Thiem emerged victorious. Nonetheless, this time on the different onerous court docket main, the Canadian turned the tables, signalling his development and improvement as a participant able to profitable beneath high-pressure conditions.
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Subsequent up for Auger-Aliassime is French qualifier Hugo Grenier.
Raonic Harm Paves Means for de Minaur
In a dramatic first-round match on the 2024 Australian Open, Australia’s top-ranked participant, Alex de Minaur, emerged victorious after Milos Raonic retired resulting from a leg damage down 6-7(6), 6-3, 2-0.
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The competition, which was tied at one set apiece, got here to an abrupt finish with de Minaur main 2-0 within the third set, leaving followers and viewers in a mixture of astonishment and sympathy.
The match started with each gamers showcasing their formidable abilities. Raonic, together with his highly effective serve, confronted little adversity within the first set. It carried over to the tiebreaker the place he did sufficient to clinch the breaker 8-6.
Nonetheless, the tide turned within the second. Raonic’s serve misplaced its earlier effectiveness, marked by two double faults and a few breaks by de Minaur. The Canadian had had a medical timeout within the opening set, however the damage began to pull him down within the second.
On the opposite facet, the Aussie displayed his trademark resilience. Regardless of shedding the primary set in an in depth tiebreak, he bounced again impressively within the second, breaking Raonic and hitting 12 winners. His preventing spirit and composure have been important in shifting the momentum of the match.
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The statistics from the match reveal an in depth contest. De Minaur bought away with a first-serve share of simply 51 p.c, however hit 10 aces to Raonic’s 12. The Aussie was the extra environment friendly of the 2, profitable 85 per cent of his first serve factors and 62 per cent of his seconds, in comparison with 75 and 60 per cent for Raonic.
Moreover, de Minaur’s means to maintain his unforced errors decrease (5) in comparison with Raonic (11) performed a key function in his comeback within the second set.
Shapovalov Struggles in Return
Within the first spherical of the Australian Open, Denis Shapovalov confronted a difficult opponent in Jakub Mensik. The match, held on Court docket 7, spanned two hours and 20 minutes, sadly resulted in a straight-set defeat for the Canadian with by a rating of 6-3, 7-5, 7-5.
Shapovalov, identified for his aggressive play and highly effective serve, delivered 12 aces through the match but additionally struggled with seven double faults. His aggressive type led to 50 unforced errors. Regardless of these challenges, Shapovalov’s first serve was sturdy, profitable 77 per cent of the time. He managed to win 13 service video games however was unable to interrupt Mensik’s serve all through the match.
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This match highlighted some areas for enchancment for Shapovalov as he makes his return from a knee damage that ended his season at Wimbledon, significantly in decreasing unforced errors and discovering extra alternatives to interrupt his opponent’s serve. His service sport stays a robust asset, however balancing his aggressive play with consistency was missing in simply his second match within the final six months.
Rebecca Marino would be the closing Canadian to contest her first-round match, taking over No. 5 seed Jessica Pegula on Tuesday.
