Canadian Tennis Standouts Advance and Exit at French Open
On a rain-interrupted day at the 2023 French Open, Canadian tennis star Felix Auger-Aliassime secured a fourth-round spot, while compatriots Denis Shapovalov and Bianca Andreescu faced early exits from the clay-court Grand Slam.
The 21st-seeded Auger-Aliassime from Montreal defeated 15th-seed Ben Shelton of the United States in a convincing 6-4, 6-2, 6-1 victory. Auger-Aliassime, who was leading 5-4 when their match was suspended on Friday, came out strong on Saturday, winning the first five games to secure the straight-sets win.
“As the second set started, I felt like my intentions were clear and my execution was right, and I was able to do what I wanted to do, and at the same time, get free points from his side and return his serve pretty well,” the 23-year-old Canadian said.
Auger-Aliassime’s next challenge will be a clash with third-seed and two-time major champion Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, in their first-ever clay-court meeting. “It’s as big of a challenge as it gets,” Auger-Aliassime acknowledged, “but I feel like I have more and more belief in my game and what I do. I have all the reasons to believe I can win, but we know the challenges. It’s a tough one.”
Elsewhere, Richmond Hill, Ont. native Denis Shapovalov was eliminated in four sets by eighth-seed Hubert Hurkacz of Poland, while Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont. fell to 12th-seed Jasmine Paolini of Italy in three sets. In doubles action, Leylah Fernandez of Montreal and her New Zealand teammate Erin Routliffe had their match suspended.
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