Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Subervi wins $15K Futures tourney in Plantation
PLANTATION — All day long it seemed as if Canadian teenage phenom Felix Auger-Aliassime was on the brink of winning the USTA Futures $15,000 Plantation Community Open.
After winning the firstset tiebreak, Auger-Aliassime, the second-ranked junior in the world and winner of the Junior U.S. Open last September, had two game points for a 5-3 lead in the second set, but was betrayed by two double-faults. Then serving at 5-4, he was two points away from winning the match before errors on his forehand and volley prolonged the set.
However, Auger-Aliassime, 16, was no longer playing against his peers for ITF points and trophies. Instead he was up against a two-time Division I All-American from the University of South Florida, who he was attempting to swipe valuable ATP ranking points and cash from.
Despite possessing more variety and power on his serve and groundstrokes, an exhausted Auger-Aliassime was unable to put his more experienced and better-conditioned opponent away as Roberto Cid Subervi outlasted him 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3), 6-0 on a rainy Sunday afternoon at the Veltri Tennis Center.
Subervi, 23, who splits his time in Tampa and in Miramar with his sister, also had to block out a 90-minute rain delay and a huge gallery of Canadians cheering for their countryman.
“My goal was to just stay positive throughout the match,” said Subervi, a Dominican Republic native who moved to Boca Raton at 13 where he trained four years at the Evert Tennis Academy. “I knew I’d have my chances and it would be how I react to off-the-court things going on. I managed those pretty well for the most part and that got me back in the match in the second set. I’m happy I stayed calm in those moments.
“In college everyone is screaming at you, especially if you’re playing on the road. On second serves they’re talking stuff about you trying to distract you. That definitely makes you tougher, especially in moments of pressure.”
The unseeded Subervi, who travels without a coach, dropped the first set in three of his five matches, including his upset of the second-seeded Tomislav Brkic in the first round. For his second Futures title, Subervi received 18 ranking points to move up to 578, while winning $2,150.
In Auger-Aliassime’s defense, after his quarterfinal and semifinal victories on Friday and Saturday, he had to go to the Sunrise Tennis Center and win grueling qualifying matches in an effort to get straight into next week’s 32-player draw of the Sunrise Open $15K Futures tournament.
At 0-3 of the third set, the unseeded Auger-Aliassime took an injury timeout to treat dizziness, a sore back and tight hamstrings. But mostly, he was in search of a second wind that wouldn’t come.
“It was probably the hardest thing I’ve done at this point of my career,” said Auger-Aliassime, who earned 10 ranking points to move to 604 while taking home $1,270. “I’ve been fighting with what I have the last few days. I found the mental toughness to win yesterday in singles here and there last night, winning two tough sets.
“I’m serving for it. I had my chances; that’s how sport is. I’m up 4-2, but the guy started playing really good, serving an unbelievable game. I gave it everything I had, but in the third set, honestly, I couldn’t do it. It’s a week that’s going to pay off later. It’s incredible how much experience you gain.”
The first set tiebreak turned at 5-4 on a let-cord winner by Auger-Aliassime, who then ripped a forehand winner for the set. Subervi found his big first serve just in time to take the secondset tiebreak. The decisive set was more about attrition than stroke execution.
“I tried to stay focused on my plan and not think of his qualifying matches [in Sunrise],” said Subervi, who will play in Sunrise and at the Davis Cup for his country. “I did notice his body language dropped at the end of the second set. I kept doing my own thing, moving my feet to get a good start for the third. Everything came together on those big points.”