Another day, another epic Canadian tennis upset.
Less than 24 hours after Leylah Annie Fernandez beat the highly favoured Elena Rybakina in the Cincinnati Open’s round of 32, fellow Quebec-born tennis star Felix Auger-Aliassime delivered an epic performance of his own at the tournament on Thursday.
Auger-Aliassime, ranked 12th in the world, took control early to cruise past world No. 5 Casper Ruud in straight sets. The 23-year-old Montreal native secured a quick 6-3, 6-1 victory against the Norwegian opponent he beat in a nail-biting Olympic upset two weeks ago.
FÉLIX powers past Ruud 💪
Like in Paris, FĂ©lix Auger-Aliassime dominates Casper Ruud 6-3 6-1 to move into the quarter-finals in Cincinnati! pic.twitter.com/5OPNdHd5Gp
— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) August 16, 2024
Of the seven times the two players have faced off, Auger-Aliassime now has the upper hand, winning four of the matches.
However, he was quick to note that his opponent was not playing at full capacity today.
“Casper was struggling physically. I don’t want to take full credit… We’ve had many battles over the years,” Auger-Aliassime told reporters after the match. “He definitely wasn’t at his best level. I hope he feels better. That’s the first thing. In terms of my game, I’m happy with how I played, served, and moved. Looking good leading up to the rest of the tournament. I have another match tonight. Happy I was able to get the win in straight sets.”
While he was unable to advance past the first round of the National Bank Open in Montreal, Auger-Aliassime’s success at the Paris Games, which saw him earn a bronze medal in mixed doubles (Canada’s first tennis podium finish in 24 years), seems to be rubbing off on his season.
Today’s win propels Auger-Aliassime into the round of 16, where he’ll face England’s Jack Draper in another knockout match later tonight.
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