Auger-Aliassime defeats Pospisil in first round of BNP Paribas Open

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. – Teenager Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated fellow Canadian Vasek Pospisil 6-2, 7-6 (4) on Friday to advance to the second round of the BNP Paribas Open.

The 17-year-old from Montreal broke Vancouver’s Pospisil in the first game and cruised to a first-set victory in just 32 minutes.

The second set was more difficult, lasting one hour nine minutes.

Pospisil and Auger-Aliassime held serve until the tiebreak before Pospisil broke his 169th-ranked opponent to go up 3-1. Auger-Aliassime broke the 27-year-old Pospisil for a 5-4 lead, then served out for the win.

Auger-Aliassime fired 11 aces throughout the match and had 72 total winners to Pospisil’s 59.

Pospisil is ranked 75th.

Auger-Aliassime, who is playing in the main draw of a Masters 1,000 event for the first time, will face 32-seeded Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ont., in the second round on Sunday.