Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime ready to face Denis Shapovalov after second-round win

BARCELONA, Spain – Felix Auger-Aliassime has set up a Canadian clash with Denis Shapovalov after a win in the second round of the Barcelona Open.

The 10th-seeded Auger-Aliassime, from Montreal, downed Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 at the clay-court event on Wednesday.

It sets up a third-round match between the seventh-seeded Shapovalov, from Richmond Hill, Ont., and Auger-Aliassime at the ATP Tour 500 tournament

At the top level in the head-to-head series, the two have split four matches. Auger-Aliassime won the only match on clay in 2019 in Madrid.

Born one year apart, the 22-year-old Shapovalov and 20-year-old Auger-Aliassime are longtime friends. Shapovalov stayed at Auger-Aliassime family’s house for part of his improbable run to the Rogers Cup semifinals in 2017.

Against the 87th-ranked Musetti, Auger-Aliassime saved six of eight break points.

The Canadian won 75 per cent of points when he got his first serve in, 18 percentage points better than his opponent.

Shapovalov beat France’s Jeremy Chardy in straight sets in the second round on Tuesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 21, 2021.