An unexpected turn of events unfolded as Félix Auger-Aliassime faced a difficult defeat in the second round of the Italian Open men’s singles on Saturday.
The Montreal native, seeded fourth in the tournament, was eliminated by Argentina’s unseeded Mariano Navone with a score of 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5).
Auger-Aliassime encountered a leg concern during the second set, hampering his movement significantly, especially during the nail-biting tiebreaker.
Although the Canadian heroically fended off one match point, he ultimately fell short against Navone, who marked a milestone by advancing to the third round of an ATP Masters 1000 event for the very first time.
Having received a bye in the first round, Auger-Aliassime became the final Canadian to exit the singles competition at the Italian Open.
The 25-year-old Navone, on the other hand, entered the match with a flawless record in Rome, having triumphed over Richmond Hill’s Denis Shapovalov in straight sets during his opening match.
