US Open: Felix Auger-Aliassime stuns Alexander Zverev to reach fourth round | Tennis News
NEW YORK: On one of the most defining nights of his life, Felix Auger-Aliassime announced himself to New York. Again.“I’ve been coming here since 2018. For some of you it might be the first time you’re watching me tonight,” he said of the place, where he made his Grand Slam debut, back in 2017 in the qualifying competition. “I’m still young, but it’s been a few years and I’m working my way.”The crowd on Louis Armstrong erupted, and Auger-Aliassime basked in the adoration.The Canadian, ranked 25, went on attack mode to put out the third seed Alexander Zverev 4-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4, 6-4 and take his place in the US Open fourth round. This is the first time Auger-Aliassime has made the second week of the tournament since he made the semi-finals here in 2021, his best result in a major to date.
Auger-Aliassime attacked at will winning 24 of 27 points at the net to eliminate the German, who lapsed into a defensive mode.The 25-year-old, standing 6-foot-4 in his tennis shoes, reached a career-high ranking of No. 6 in November 2022, before sliding down to as low as No. 36 in the months that followed. In his last 14 Grand Slams Auger-Aliassime lost in the first round seven times. He won a round each at two of the other three Slams this season. But on Saturday evening the US Open’s 25th seed showed the fight is alive and kicking, claiming his first top-five scalp at a major on his seventh attempt.“The last two years have been tough, I don’t see anybody on Tour and I don’t think they see me either,” he said. “When I came on Tour you had to play Novak (Djokovic) or Rafa (Nadal), guys you grew up watching. It’s tough to have that same kind of belief.” “But having played these guys, even Jannik Sinner, who is kind of the same age as me, it’s different,” he said. “Obviously it helps that I was also at a good level at a young age, and now I have to challenge these guys and get back up to a higher level of consistency.”The 25-year-old will play the 15th seed Andrey Rublev for a place in the last-eight.
