Revenge is best served cold, but why wait if you don't have to? #NextGenATP Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime earned some payback on Wednesday night, and in the process, guaranteed his best showing yet at an ATP 500 tournament.
The 18-year-old beat Chile's Christian Garin 7-5, 6-4 at the Rio Open presented by Claro to reach his first ATP 500 quarter-final. Last week, the 22-year-old Garin came back from a set down against Auger-Aliassime in the first round of the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires.
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But the teenager kept his poise on Quadra Central, breaking five times and serving out the match to love. Auger-Aliassime seems to be even surprising himself this week. After match point, he dropped his racquet and wore a look of disbelief.
The 18-year-old aced public relations and earned a few more fans in Rio. During his celebration, Auger-Aliassime tossed on a Brazilian football shirt with “Felix” emblazoned on the back and danced around the court.
He will face another up-and-coming player in Jaume Munar for a place in the semi-finals. The 21-year-old Spaniard fought past Brit Cameron Norrie 7-6(6), 5-7, 7-6(4) to reach his first ATP 500 quarter-final. Munar made the semi-finals of the 21-and-under Next Gen ATP Finals last November in Milan.
“I'm feeling happy for the win, but I also know I have to improve in a lot of things. I had many chances in the second, also chances before the tie-break in the final set,” Munar said. “My sentence in my head was just battle for every point.”
Hugo Dellien gave his home nation of Bolivia another reason to celebrate. The 25-year-old beat 2018 Ecuador Open champion Roberto Carballes Baena 7-5, 6-4 to make the quarter-finals. Before this week, Dellien, or any other male player from Bolivia, hadn't won an ATP Tour or Grand Slam match in 35 years.
He will face Slovenia's Aljaz Bedene, who knocked out home favourite Thiago Monteiro 6-3, 6-4 to make his second consecutive Rio quarter-final.
from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/2GQkQ21
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