Tennis: Auger-Aliassime crushes Nadal at ATP Finals
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Rafael Nadal leaves after losing his ATP Finals round-robin match against Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime in Turin on Nov 15, 2022.
AFP
TURIN – Felix Auger-Aliassime left Rafael Nadal’s title hopes at the ATP Finals in tatters, beating the struggling Spaniard 6-3, 6-4 in round-robin action at Turin’s Pala Alpitour Stadium on Tuesday.
Nadal, 35, needs to win the year-ender for the first time in his illustrious career to have a chance of ending the season as world No. 1, but he faded after a good start.
Nadal was beaten by American Taylor Fritz in his opener on Sunday and is now bottom of the group with one match remaining against Norway’s Casper Ruud. If Ruud wins a set against Fritz on Wednesday morning (Singapore time), Nadal will be eliminated.
“I think having one match here, I got used to the conditions on centre court,” Auger-Aliassime said, referring to his loss to Ruud in his tournament debut on Sunday.
“I felt my game was better today. My serve was great and return and backhand was much better. I was hitting it with... more consistency and quality. When I am playing like this, I have proven I can compete and beat some of the best players in the world.”
Nadal, the record 22-time Grand Slam champion, has now lost four successive ATP Tour matches for the first time since 2009.
He arrived in Italy having competed in only one singles match since his fourth-round US Open loss in September. He took time off for the birth of his first child, as well as to give himself time to recover from niggling injuries.
Auger-Aliassime, now coached by Nadal’s uncle and long-time mentor Toni, will face Fritz in his final group match with a chance of making the last four.
Serving at 3-4 in the first set, Nadal led 40-0 but a couple of double faults and baseline errors allowed Auger-Aliassime to break.
Auger-Aliassime sealed the set with a solid hold and moved a break ahead early in the second. Nadal showed flashes of brilliance but could make no impression as he slumped to defeat.
Separately, Novak Djokovic will be granted a visa to play in the 2023 Australian Open, local media reports said on Tuesday, despite his deportation because of his unvaccinated status ahead of the 2022 tournament in January.
The Australian government had decided to grant the Serb a visa for the Grand Slam, overturning a three-year ban after his ejection from the country, said national broadcaster the ABC and other domestic media.
“Nothing official yet,” Djokovic said after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) in his opening match at the ATP Finals on Monday. “We are waiting. They are communicating with the government of Australia. That’s all I can tell you for now.” AFP, REUTERS
