Canada's Auger-Aliassime battles to seventh ATP title / Photo: Sylvain THOMAS - AFP
Canada's Auger-Aliassime battles to seventh ATP title
Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime claimed his seventh ATP title and second of the season with a hard-fought three-set win over American qualifier Aleksandar Kovacevic in Montpellier on Sunday.
Second seed Auger-Aliassime let two championship points slip in the second set tie-break before winning 6-2, 6-7 (7/9), 7-6 (7/2) for his second title of 2025 after Adelaide.
"For sure, the craziest final I have played, whether I won or lost," said the 23rd-ranked Auger-Aliassime after the two-and-a-half-hour battle against a qualifier who was playing his first tour-level final.
"It was a crazy match. I couldn't have got a better start. I was feeling good, but credit to Aleks, he raised his level. I think it was a very high level on both ends, serving well. This match deserved to go three sets with the way he was playing in the second."
The 24-year-old Canadian reeled off five consecutive games from 1-2 in the first set to take control, before both players dug deep in a second set that did not feature a break point.
Auger-Aliassime twice held championship point on return at 6/5 and behind his own serve at 7/6, but 102nd-ranked Kovacevic earned three straight points to level the match.
In the third set Kovacevic, 26, had one break point before his opponent held serve for 6-5 and swept to the title in the tie break.
R.Santoro--MJ
