In the opening set, both players were outstanding in their service games. In their most recent encounter, Auger-Aliassime defeated Hurkacz by a nearly identical score to today’s match – a 7-6(2), 7-6(4) win in Halle, Germany. Heading into the final, Auger-Aliassime and Hurkacz had met three times on Tour, with the Canadian leading their head-to-head 2-1. Meanwhile, Hurkacz’s road to the championship match included wins against Serbian Dusan Lajovic, Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff, Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands, and Frenchman Ugo Humbert. All of his matches were won in straight sets – except for the tightly contested match against Shevchenko, where Auger-Aliassime had to save a match point in the final set. That number quickly rose, with stellar victories over Switzerland’s Leandro Riedi, Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands, Alexander Shevchenko, and tournament top-seed Holger Rune of Denmark. He becomes the first Canadian to defend an ATP title since Milos Raonic won in San Jose in 20.Īuger-Aliassime, 23, entered the week with 17 wins on the season. On Sunday, Félix Auger-Aliassime claimed his second title at the Swiss Indoors Basel in as many years after defeating Hubert Hurkacz of Poland 7-6(3), 7-6(5) in the final of the ATP 500-level event in Basel, Switzerland.
MONTREAL/BASEL, Octo(Tennis Canada Press Release)
