DOHA, Qatar — Excitement filled the air as Montreal’s very own Felix Auger-Aliassime triumphed in a gripping battle to advance to the second round of the Qatar Open tennis tournament on Tuesday. He claimed victory with a scoreline of 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2) against France’s talented qualifier, Quentin Halys.
In a thrilling final set, both contenders displayed remarkable serving skills, maintaining their service games until the tiebreak. Auger-Aliassime surged ahead, converting match point on a brilliant return to seal the match.
Halys initially seized control with a break in the dying moments of the first set. However, the Canadian star swiftly responded with an early break in the second set, showcasing his resilience by fighting off double break points and eventually clinching the set with a powerful ace.
This match was a display of dominant serves, as Auger-Aliassime unleashed a remarkable 13 aces, while Halys matched him closely with 12 of his own.
This victory marks Auger-Aliassime’s second win against Halys, having previously triumphed over the French player last year in Marseille.
Currently ranked No. 23 in the world, the rising star, who has already bagged two titles this season, will next face off against the winner of the highly anticipated clash between Greece’s sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and Serbia’s Hamad Medjedovic in the next round of this ATP 500 event.
