Auger-Aliassime moves into Swiss Open quarterfinals with win over Hanfmann

GSTAAD, SWITZERLAND – Montreal’s Felix Auger-Aliassime advanced to the quarterfinals of the Swiss Open clay-court tennis tournament with a 7-6 (6), 6-2 win over Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann on Thursday.

Auger-Aliassime, the third seed at the tournament, broke Hanfmann twice late in the second set, including in the decisive eighth game.

Hanfmann started strong with an early break to go up 2-0 in the first set, but Auger-Aliassime got that break back in the seventh game.

The Canadian went down 4-1 in the first-set tiebreaker and later faced set point trailing 6-5, but won the next two points on return before converting set point on serve.

“It was a tough start from me. With the conditions, the wind, the altitude. I was glad I was able to come back in the first set, that was key,” Auger-Aliassime said. “It was not always beautiful tennis.

“I started serving better after my first game. Returning also, finding the right position. I was testing things out in the first set … It was good to come back. It was good to find solutions.”

Auger-Aliassime is next scheduled to face sixth seed Matteo Berrettini. The Italian leads the career series between the players 4-2.

Auger-Aliassime is scheduled to play in men’s singles and doubles at the Paris Games starting next week and is using this tournament as a tune-up. Tennis at the Olympics will be held on the clay courts at Roland Garros, the site of the French Open.

On Monday, Auger-Aliassime and Swiss partner Dominic Stricker lost 6-4, 7-6 (4) to top seeds Jamie Murray of Britain and Czechia’s Adam Pavlasek in the first round of doubles competition.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 18, 2024.