Felix Auger-Aliassime seeks fresh start after slow end of 2019

Kicking off the season from outside the top-100, super talented Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime made fantastic progress to finish 2019 on the verge of the top-20. Struggling with a left ankle injury, Felix scored just five victories after Wimbledon but did enough in the first part of the year to occupy such a high ranking position, yearning for much more in 2020. The Montreal native will lead the Canadian ATP Cup squad together with Denis Shapovalov in Brisbane, facing Germany, Greece and Australia in what should be the most entertaining group of the inaugural team event and the feast of young established stars. The 19-year-old couldn't do much in the opening encounters of the season, although he claimed the decisive fifth rubber against Slovakia to propel Canada towards the Davis Cup Finals in November where they reached the final. In Rio de Janeiro, Felix became the youngest ATP 500 finalist since 2009, losing to Laslo Djere but earning the first notable points of the season that propelled him into the top-60.

Having to qualify for the main draw, Auger-Aliassime advanced into the semi-final in Miami, becoming the youngest player in the last four at this prestigious tournament and barely missing a chance to reach the final, wasting a break advantage in both sets against John Isner. The results were not there in the opening clay events during the spring swing, with all that changing in Lyon where Felix played the second final of the season, losing to Benoit Paire and struggling with an injury that sidelined him from Roland Garros. Returning in Stuttgart, the Canadian was in another title match, halted by Matteo Berrettini but gathering the momentum that carried him towards the semi-final at Queen's and the third round at Wimbledon.

In Washington and Montreal, Auger-Aliassime scored three victories to find himself in the top-20, fading from the court after that and competing at only three ATP tournaments and the Davis Cup Finals after the US Open due to that injury. Recovered and rested, Felix is eager to chase significant results in 2020, starting from the ATP Cup where he and Denis Shapovalov have to bring their best tennis to pass a tough group and continue the title chase in Sydney. 

"For any player to get his first Grand Slam win is a big relief, and it's a good achievement for me. At the same time, with the level I'm playing now and my ambitions, I look forward and I look to go even further than that."

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2ZAxbyp