(Cincinnati) Quebecer Félix Auger-Aliassime ended a five-game losing streak by beating Italian Matteo Berrettini in three sets 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in the first round of the Cincinnati tournament on Monday .
The 23-year-old Auger-Aliassime had nine aces in the game and closed the books on his first match point.
After a season in which he won four tournaments, helped Canada triumph at the Davis Cup and reached a career-high sixth in the ATP rankings, Auger-Aliassime enjoyed a difficult 2023 campaign.
He entered the Cincinnati tournament with a 13-13 record this season and dropped to 14th. His five-game losing streak came against opponents ranked between 78th and 130th.
Auger-Aliassime, however, pulled himself together against a tough opponent in the first round. Berrettini held a 4-1 career advantage against the Montrealer.
Berrettini is ranked 38th in the world, but like Auger-Aliassime, he reached sixth in the rankings last year.
After losing the first set, Auger-Aliassime dominated the second thanks to a break in the fourth and eighth games.
Auger-Aliassime earned a crucial break to take a 4-2 lead in the third set when Berrettini double faulted on break point.
Auger-Aliassime will now cross swords with Frenchman Adrian Mannarino. This will be the first duel between the two players.
