Felix Auger-Aliassime glides past Dan Evans to make fourth round with straight-sets win at Australian Open
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ByEurosport
Published 22/01/2022 at 08:56 GMT
"It is one of my best Grand Slam performances. I feel great, I feel like I deserve the place I'm in. I've worked really hard to get here," said Auger-Aliassime after he beat Evans in straight sets to progress to the fourth round of the Australian Open on Saturday. Stream the 2022 Australian Open live and on demand on discovery+.
Felix Auger-Aliassime and Dan Evans clasp hands at the net after the match
Image credit: Getty Images
Felix Auger-Aliassime made light work of Dan Evans, beating the Brit 6-4, 6-4, 6-1 to progress to the fourth round of the Australian Open for the second straight year.
The world number nine will face either Marin Cilic or Andrey Rublev next up. He looks to be growing into the tournament, hitting 41 winners and 16 aces with just 21 unforced errors in a consummate performance.
Evans will rue his inability to convert the three break points he crafted – two of which came in the first set – but, in truth, the score reflected the comfortable nature of the match.
The Canadian star had prevailed in rounds one and two after five-setters against Emil Ruusuvuori and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, and it looked like he could be set for another marathon encounter with the first set level at 4-4 and on serve.
However, the 21-year-old secured a decisive break in the ninth game and then pulled away in sets two and three, breaking the serve of his opponent twice in the second and thrice in the third set in a comfortable win.
“[It was] one of my best Grand Slam performances,” said Auger-Aliassime.
“I feel great, I feel like I deserve the place I’m in. I’ve worked really hard to get here, I’ve had some great matches and some downs as well. I’ve put in the work in the off-season and I’ve had a great start, so I feel like I’m in a good place and that I deserve to be here again in the fourth round.”
Auger-Aliassime had a breakout year in Grand Slams in 2021, making the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and the semi-finals at the US Open after opening the season with a fourth-round placing at Melbourne Park.
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