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FAA Survives Another Cliffhanger, Saving Three Match Points in Marseille


Felix Auger-Aliassime delivered his second dramatic victory in as many days at the Open 13 Marseille on Thursday, defeating Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-0 6-7(6) 7-6(9) to book his spot in the quarterfinals.

Tennis Express

The 19-year-old Canadian saved two match points in his 6-7(6) 7-6(3) 6-3 victory over Stefano Travaglia on Wednesday in Marseille, and he came through tight quarters again against Herbert in a battle that was one of the most entertaining clashes of the young 2020 season despite the lopsided first set.

Herbert nearly pulled off the miracle himself as the Frenchman saved a match point at 5-6 in the second set tiebreaker before closing the set with the point of the tournament, a perfectly placed tweener lob followed by a punched backhand volley winner that brought the crowd at the Palais des Sports to their feet.

Herbert, ranked 79 in the world at the moment, saved three more match points in the third set to get to the tiebreaker, two at 4-5 and one more at 5-6.

In the tiebreaker it was the Canadian’s turn to fight off elimination and he did so with aplomb, saving match points at 5-6, 6-7 and 7-8 before earning a fifth match point at 9-8. Herbert saved that one with a big serve down the T that elicited a backhand floating long from Auger-Aliassime, but the Canadian finally converted his sixth match point with an ace to clinch his victory in two hours and 40 minutes.

In addition to Herber’s tweener shot on set point in the second set, the Frenchman also hit a ridiculous winner at 6-6 in the third set breaker off a smash from Auger-Aliassime—the Canadian dove to try and snag the reply but could not get back over the net.

Auger-Aliassime moves on to face Egor Gerasimov in the quarterfinals at Marseille. The Belarusian toppled David Goffin 6-4 7-6(5) in Thursday’s final match.

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