Felix Auger-Aliassime tries to stay positive after heartbreaking IW loss
Rising Canadian star Felix Auger-Aliassime tried to stay positive after a tough BNP Paribas Open third round loss.
The 18-year-old sensation fell just short of making an Indian Wells Masters round-of-16.
The Canadian was edged out by Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka in a tight three-setter 6-7 (2) 6-4 7-6 (5).
Auger-Aliassime, ranked at No. 58 in the world, was up by a set and a break at the beginning of the second set.
Yet, Nishioka refused to give up as he won the second set and then opened up a 5-1 third-set lead.
However, Auger-Aliassime showed great resilience as he saved three points and recovered from a big deficit to force a tie-break.
The Canadian appeared to be on the verge of a huge comeback win but blew a 5-3 tie-break lead as Nishioka won four consecutive points to seal the win.
Auger-Aliassime's fine form started at the Rio Open last month, where he finished runner-up to Serb Laslo Djere in the final of the ATP 500 event in Rio de Janeiro.
The Canadian is expected to reach his new career-high ranking when the list gets updated after the Indian Wells Masters.
"Tonight was a tough one, but if I look at the big picture, if you told me two months ago I'd be top 60, I'd be really happy with it. I knew I could do it, had something within me, but how everything went was good for me," Auger-Aliassime said after losing to Nishioka, per Tennis Now Twitter.
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