This time will not be suitable for Quebec’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, who lost for the eighth time in as many career finals, Sunday morning in the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart. Croatia’s Marin Cilic had the upper hand 7-6 (2) 6-3 in a duel that lasted 1 hour and 43 minutes.
The third seed in the tournament held on turf, Quebec saved three service breaks in the first minutes of the match in order to win the first match, and his opponent hit him the same way in the next match, leading to the match. It turned out to be rather narrow.
In the first set 5-5, Cilic took the first break of the match. Then, Felix Auger-Aliassime Compatiev in turn took off to the applause of a few spectators present in the stands in Stuttgart. But the decisive match was the story of the Croatian player who finished first with a score of 7-2.
The outcome of the match began to emerge in the second set, when Cilic broke Quebecwa and scored a game to take the 5-3 lead. The rest was just a formality.
Photo by Marjan Mourad, DPA via Associated Press
Marin Cilic
Felix Auger-Aliassime had 4 aces and 6 double faults in the defeat. His opposite completed 7 aces and won 77% of the points on his first serve.
“I wasn’t in the final”
During the post-match press conference, Quebec confirmed that “the margins are good on the grass. Even the matches I won in the last few days of the tournament, were very few.”
He also mentioned that his low percentage of first balls won 67%. It’s 10% less than the discount.
On the contrary, he said, he served very well. Maybe if I could go through the tiebreaker in the second set, I would have given myself another chance. ”
Auger-Aliassime, 21e The racket, he has not won a tour in each of the finals in his career, three in 2019, three in 2020 and two in 2021. However, he has not lost a single round of the Stuttgart Championship before participating in it. the last.
“Today, I didn’t play in a final. I faced Marin Cilic. And he justified they were two different things. There were times in the finals where I didn’t play to the fullest and I felt like I wasn’t playing well. But this time, to be honest, in the first set I had chances and so did he. I felt he was close, but overall, he was better than me.”
I faced a player better than me who deserved to win.
Felix Auger-Aliassime
This is the first ATP title since 2018 for Marin Cilic, seeded 47e In the world. He was emotional after the match, because it was the first time he had played against his son. Before receiving the trophy, Auger-Aliassime was described as “one of the most professional players”.
The next Felix Auger-Aliassime duel will take place this week at the grass tournament in Halle, Germany.