RUSSIAN SPOILS PARTY FOR FELIX
Loss to Khachanov on his 19th birthday knocks Canadian out of Rogers Cup
This wasn’t the way Felix Auger-aliassime hoped to mark his 19th birthday.
Sixth-seeded Karen Khachanov spoiled the celebration when he rallied past Auger-aliassime 6-7 (7), 7-5, 6-3 in the third round of the Rogers Cup Canadian Open men’s tennis championships.
The Montrealer was serenaded with a chorus of Bonne Fete after the match and there were birthday greetings from several of his fellow players on the video screen at IGA Stadium, but you got the impression that it was less than a happy birthday.
Khachanov’s strength and experience proved to be the difference in the decisive third set. In a match marked by frequent service breaks, Khachanov broke Auger-aliassime in the fourth game for a 3-1 lead and never faced a break point on his own serve.
Auger-aliassime’s serve let him down throughout the match. He had 11 aces but also double-faulted 12 times and lost his serve seven times. Khachanov also had 11 aces but had only three double faults and was broken five times.
“For sure the wind didn’t help, especially in the first set,” said Auger-aliassime. “I just felt like the game when I was up a break, I double-faulted twice (and I) felt like it was very tough to serve, even on the first serve. I think that’s why we kept breaking each other. Look, if it’s tough for you to serve, it’s going to be tough for him as well.
“As the match went on, I felt more and more comfortable,” Auger-aliassime added. “I think in key moments I was able to serve well and that gave me a chance to win. For sure I’m facing difficulties on my second serve. I have to face it. I mean, it’s like you. You face difficulties in your work. I face difficulties in mine. What do you do? You go back to work and you try to do better next time. That’s what I’ll do for the future.”
Khachanov, who said the match was an example of “winning ugly,” said: “I think both of us were returning better than we were serving and the wind was going around and that made it more difficult.”
As expected, the crowd was solidly behind Auger-aliassime.
“The sound of the crowd, the people, the support they gave me was crazy.” said Auger-aliassime. “From the first practice I had here, then all the way to this match today was just crazy. It really is a dream come true. The atmosphere in the tiebreak at the end of the first set was pretty surreal.”
It also posed some problems for Khachanov. After missing a chance to win the tiebreaker, the Russian received a warning when he launched a ball over what was once the left-field wall at Jarry Park and the crowd booed.
“I cannot deny that I got a little bit crazy with the crowd,” said Khachanov.” But I’m really a bit disappointed with the crowd as well. I don’t have anything against (them) when they cheer for Felix. It’s normal. He’s home favourite, especially from Montreal. I wish they could cheer the same way in Russia for me. But still, you know, not when I miss or not wishing me to miss, screaming during the points, I think it’s unrespectful. I just got crazy. On the other side, I provoke the crowd, and that gave me also some kind of energy, as well. I don’t know. I was doing some bulls---, honestly.”
Auger-aliassime said Khachanov apologized to him after the match.
“He just said when he got mad, it was nothing against me,” Auger-aliassime said. “Sometimes he was just frustrated at the crowd.”
Next up for Khachanov is a quarter-final match against third-seeded Alexander Zverev of Germany, who was also involved in a long three-set match. He defeated 13th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia 7-5, 5-7, 7-6 (5).
Second-seeded Dominic
Thiem of Austria ousted 14th-seeded Marin Cilic of Croatia 7-6 (7), 6-3.
Thiem, who was coming off a clay court win in Kitzbuhel, lost in the first round in his five previous appearances at the Rogers Cup and said the difference this year was confidence as he moved to the faster hardcourts.
“I had, like, four (practice) sessions which were pretty good,” said Thiem. “The most important thing for the successful transition and for the successful start in this tournament was my confidence. The last three, four years I didn’t play worse than this year but I just came with low confidence and I came a little bit sad to Canada because I didn’t play good in my own home tournament where I usually, of course, have a lot of pressure.
“This year everything is different,” Thiem said. “I won this title at home. I made one of my biggest dreams come true.”
Thiem’s quarter-final opponent will be eighth-seeded Daniil Medvedev of Russia, who cruised to a 6-3, 6-3 win over unseeded Cristian Garin of Chile.
“He’s having a great season,” Thiem said. “It’s his first time in the top 10. I think he’s one of the guys with the most wins, playing every week unbelievable, solid tennis. It’s going to be a very, very tough match.
“I played him in Barcelona finals, which was of course in my favour because it’s clay and I think it’s not his favourite surface. Then we had a great, close match in St. Petersburg, which was a very high level. I’ll try to see this one again, look at what I did great there, try to play similar like that tomorrow.”
Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., had a three-set loss to Thiem in the second round of the singles but he’s still alive in doubles. He teamed with Rohan Bopanna, a 39-year-old doubles specialist from India, to reach the quarter-finals with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Kyle Edmund of Britain and American Harry Fritz.