Final ATP Basel: Undefeated for 12 matches, Félix Auger-Aliassime challenges Holger Rune after his masterclass against Alcaraz

Who else but him could present himself in the final on the land of Roger Federer? Twin by date of birth with the maestro, born like him on August 8, Félix Auger-Aliassime had a dream week in Switzerland, which will put him in a position to win a third title in three weeks. For the one who was pointed out for his inability to win a final – 8 failures during his first eight appearances between 2019 and 2021 – this change in status is very important. Here he is as a man who counts in the “secondary” tournaments of the ATP circuit. It is a first stone towards the summits and he missed it, undeniably.

Opposed to Holger Rune during this Basel final, the 9th player in the world is clearly the man for this end of the 2022 indoor season. There are the results, but also, and finally, the way of doing things. The F2A metronome had been expected for a while in the pure game register and it has finally responded since this month of October. Driven by a more solid face-off than ever, the right-hander has been playing tennis in slippers for twelve games. He had never evolved at this level over such a long period since his time with the professionals.

Of these twelve matches won in a row, he lost three sets: one in each tournament, one in Florence against Oscar Otte, one in Antwerp against Daniel Evans and the last when he entered the running against the local Marc-Andrea Hüsler in Basel. . Guess what ? These three sets were lost after decisive games, it is to say if the Canadian is tough in match. Sending him to the ropes has felt like a Herculean task for the past month. In Florence and Antwerp, he lost his serve only five times, before moving up a gear in Basel with zero breaks conceded. In the final, he will challenge Holger Rune, his… alter ego. Finalist in Sofia at the beginning of the month, titled in Stockholm against Stefanos Tsitsipas a week ago, the Dane remains on a series of nine rank successes on his side. And he hasn’t been… broken all week either.

Auger-Aliassime had to work against Huesler

Alcaraz, his reference match

Back to FAA. The pupil of Toni Nadal won four games in Basel against clients in this type of tournament: the surprising Marc-Andrea Hüsler, his most difficult match, Miomir Kecmanovic and the unpredictable Alexander Bublik. The last two have even been upgraded. Then, and above all, Carlos Alcaraz. Of all these matches, it is this demonstration against the Spaniard who will remain, title or not on Sunday. Swept in the semi-finals in two small sets (6-3, 6-2), the world No. 1 could not cope with the F2A rocket. Powerless, the Murcian appeared without technical and tactical solutions to overthrow an opponent who reads his game like no other, with Jannik Sinner, evidenced by his 3-0 advantage in direct confrontations. Who can boast of this record against the protege of Juan Carlos Ferrero?

This demonstration of total tennis requires confirmation but FAA is currently on its cloud, or in the “zone” to use a well-known tennis expression. Here he is in any case with his reference match in 2022 in his pocket. He had already beaten Alcaraz in the Davis Cup in September but not in this way, that of the boss. Against Alcaraz, we saw the player who had taught Novak Djokovic a lesson during the Laver Cup. “So far everything has been very close to perfect. I served amazingly, I haven’t been broken once yet. There is still a game to play but I had a fantastic week, I played good tennis. Today (Saturday) I played and beat the best player in the world, it’s an incredible victory. I’m really happy with my level and I hope I can go all the way“, he acknowledged after his victory against the boss of world tennis.

FAA still stuck in very big tournaments

On Sunday, Auger-Aliassime will try to win his fourth trophy of the season after Rotterdam, Florence and Antwerp. One ATP 500 and two ATP 250s are on his record at the moment, before maybe adding another 500 if he beats Rune. Finally able to put an end to his curse of the finals at the start of the season in the Netherlands, the native of Montreal has reached a real mental milestone in 2022. On Sunday, the trembling is over, place at Auger-Aliassime in reinforced concrete. He crossed a course, but not the one expected of him. A prodigy among the juniors, the Montrealer has been expected higher for a while. Higher than his beautiful 9th ​​place in the ATP ranking.

His quarter-final in Melbourne, where he was overthrown by Daniil Medvedev after leading two sets to nothing, then this gigantic round of 16 loss in five sets against Rafael Nadal had left immense hopes of seeing him shine in the very big tournaments and maybe win the timpani. Hopes showered since the beginning of June and this encouraging setback in the Parisian house of Nadal. Here again, Auger-Aliassime failed to confirm and break this barrier of great moments.

Medvedev came back from hell: his epic victory against Auger-Aliassime in video

After the promises to the antipodes and to Roland, he declined at Wimbledon (1st round, Maxime Cressy) and at the US Open (2nd round, beaten by Jack Draper), where he had reached the last four in 2021, his only half. in Grand Slam to date. The machine is superb, very well oiled, but it still lacks two or three parts to make it efficient and clinical.

As for the Masters 1000, he posted an honest record with four quarter-finals this season (Madrid, Rome, Canada, Cincinnati), but there too it stuck more or less. Since 2018, he has only reached the last four of an M1000 once, in Miami in 2019. After this final in Basel, Bercy arrives and it is in the French capital, where he left part of his him earlier in the season, that he will have to jump on the big bandwagon. The Auger-Aliassime machine has taken its ticket, all that remains is to stamp it.

Felix Auger Aliassime

Credit: Getty Images

source site