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(Adelaide) Just days after winning the Canadian Press Sportsman of the Year, an honor that came to cap a stunning end to 2022, Montreal tennis player Félix Auger-Aliassime will kick off his 2023 campaign on Monday at the Adelaide International.
The second seed in the high-profile Masters 250 and sixth in the world, Auger-Aliassime, will play his first match of the new year against Australian Alexei Popyrin, a player from the qualifiers.
At the earliest, the duel will begin at 2:30pm Adelaide time, or 11pm Quebec time on Sunday.
If Auger-Aliassime wins, he will face American Marcus Giron, who knocked out veteran Frenchman Richard Gasquet in three sets of 7-6 (5), 6-7 (6), 7-5 in a battle that lasted nearly three hours.
Another Canadian was included in the main draw, Denis Shapovalov from Ontario, seeded seventh. Shapovalov is set to play his first-round match on Tuesday against Rinki Hijikata, another Australian qualifier.
Vasek Pospisil tried to join Auger-Aliassime and Shapovalov in the main draw but his efforts were thwarted in the second qualifying round when he lost 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-3 to Russia’s Roman Sviolin.
The men’s singles table is very high with Serbian Novak Djokovic as the top seed, but also with Russians Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev, the third and fourth seeds respectively, and Dane Holger Rohn, the fifth seed.
Auger-Aliassime and Ron could also face each other in the third round, after almost two months of crossing swords in two fencers in a week, in the final of the tournament in Basel and then in the semi-finals of the Masters 1000 in Paris. Auger-Aliassime won in two sets in Basel, thus deserving of a third consecutive title, before losing in two sets in Paris, a tournament that Ron won over Djokovic.
Ron is scheduled to play his first-round match on Monday against Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka.
For his part, Djokovic will face France’s Constant Lestienne in the first round on Tuesday. All eyes will be on the Serb, who has returned to Australia after being expelled last year over his stance on COVID-19 vaccines.
In 2007, at the age of 19, Djokovic won the Adelaide International for what was then his third career title on the ATP Tour.
“I chose Adelaide because I wanted to play a tournament before the Australian Open,” Djokovic told reporters this week. “I wanted a regular 250 championship.
“Judging by the roster of 250 players going into this tournament, it’s not really a 250 tournament. It could be the 500 tournament or it could be the 1000. Some of the best players in the world are here, men and women,” Djokovic said.
Andreescu’s amazing rebound
And in the women’s team on Sunday, Canadian Bianca Andreescu came from behind to defeat Spain’s Garbine Muguruza in straight sets 0-6, 7-6(3), 6-1.
Image by Brenton Edwards, AFP
Canadian Bianca Andreescu is happy with her victory
Andreescu trailed 0-6, 2-5 before coming back impressively to win within 2 hours and 12 minutes. The Canadian improved her career record against Muguruza to 3-0.
“I really changed my game plan in the second set,” said Andreescu. I told myself to try everything and whatever happens will happen. I sent more returns, more hits, and I’m so proud that I was able to pull off that win. I don’t know how you did. »
Muguruza looked to be in exceptional form in the first set, scoring eight shoot-to-two winners and converting three of her five break points without facing a single.
Andreescu started the second set better, but Muguruza took a 4-2 lead with a forehand and helped out to a 5-2 lead. The Spaniard served in the match when leading 5-3, but Andreescu avoided the danger before winning the tiebreaker with a header.
The Canadian played well and then crushed her opponent to take a 3-1 lead in the final set. She will now face fourth seed Veronika Kudermatova or Amanda Anisimova.
In another women’s singles match, Estonian Kaya Kanepi came from behind to knock out Belarusian Alexandra Sasnovich 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.
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