Felix Auger Aliassime battled past Arthur Cazaux 7-5 2-6 7-6 (7-4) in a rollercoaster third set to advance to the quarter final at the Open Sud de France in Montpellier.
Cazaux broke serve in the fifth game of the first set to take a 3-2 lead. Auger Aliassime broke back in the eighth game to draw level to 4-4. The Canadian player earned his second break in the 12th game to win the first set 7-5. Cazaux broke twice in the third and seventh games to win the second set 6-2.
Cazaux started the third set with an early break after three double faults from Auger Aliassime, who broke back in the fourth game to draw level to 2-2. Cazaux broke again in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead, but Auger Aliassime pulled back on serve in the 10th game to draw level to 5-5.
Cazaux saved a match point on serve with a net approach and forced the tie-break with a backhand volley. Auger Aliassime opened up a 4-1 lead. Cazaux pulled back on serve for 4-5. Auger Aliassime won the final two points to clinch the tie-break 7-4.
Cazaux won the Noumea Challenger title in the first week of the year and claimed his first top 10 win against Holger Rune to reach the fourth round at the Australian Open.
Auger Aliassime reached the third round at the Australian Open and has now advanced to his first quarter final since his title in Basel last October. He will face Harold Mayot on Friday.
“It was a crazy match. Arthur came up with the goods and he served and played amazing when he needed to. I was playing great tennis and then he raised his level. He played an unbelievable game to break me in the second set. I had to stay calm and just find a way to stay in the match and give myself a chance. You have to stay focused, composed and not let the emotions get the best of you. I think I did that well today”, said Auger Aliassime.
Holger Rune beat Pablo Llamas Ruiz 7-5 6-2 to claim his 100th tour-level win. Rune earned an early break in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead. Llamas Ruiz broke straight back in the seventh game and held serve to draw level to 4-4.
Rune sealed the first set 7-5 with another break on his eighth set point in the 12th game. The Danish player broke twice in the second and eighth games to seal the win after 1 hour and 26 minutes. Rune set up a quarter final against Michael Mmoh 6-4 6-4.
“It’s never easy. He is more used to the conditions than me. I think he played three matches coming through the qualies, so obviously he had great rhythm and he played free. It was a battle, especially in the first set with some tight moments, but I am just happy to be happy in Montpellier and playing some good tennis”, said Rune.
Borna Coric saved all four break points he faced in his 6-4 6-0 win over Pedro Martinez. Coric lost in the first round against Frances Tiafoe at the Australian Open and finished runner-up to Leandro Riedl in the final of the Challenger of the Ottignies-Louvain La Neuve in Belgium.
“I played a lot of matches last week and I came in a little tired. I wanted to win as soon as possible and do my recovery”, said Coric.
Coric set up a quarter final match against Flavio Cobolli, who beat Constant Lestienne 6-4 6-1. Cobolli saved two break points in the sixth game with an ace to hold serve before breaking serve in the ninth game to win the first set 6-4.
Cobolli earned an early break in the first game of the second set, but Lestienne broke straight back in the second game. Cobolli converted his fourth break point in the third game to take a 2-1 lead and won the final four games with two more breaks to win the second set 6-1.
Alexander Schevchenko earned his only break in the sixth game of the third set to beat Frenchman Gregoire Barrère 7-6 (7-3) 2-6 6-3.
