By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, October 30, 2022
Felix Auger-Aliassime slashed 11 aces topping Holger Rune 6-3, 7-5 to win his third consecutive title in Basel and run his career-best winning streak to 13 matches.
Photo credit: Getty
Tennis is transformative and Felix Auger-Aliassime is on a redefining roll.
Critics once tagged Auger-Aliassime as an ultra-talented underachiever who couldn't win the big one.
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These days, opponents can't see the Canadian losing title matches.
An unbreakable Auger-Aliassime slashed 11 aces defeating Holger Rune 6-3, 7-5 to capture his third consecutive title in Basel and run his career-best winning streak to 13 matches.
The third-seeded Canadian did not drop serve in five tournament wins, stamping 50 consecutive holds to join Nick Kyrgios (64 holds in Washington, DC) and Taylor Fritz (51 holds in Eastbourne) as the third man to claim a 2022 ATP title without surrendering serve.
“It’s been an amazing week,” said Auger-Aliassime. “Once again in the final, not getting broken all week… a long year, a long stretch of wins, and it’s not over.
"So hopefully I can keep going, but right now I’m feeling all the good emotions that come with winning a tournament. It’s amazing.”
Auger-Aliassime raised his record to 53-24 overall and an ATP Tour-best 24-4 indoors this season.
It is the fourth career title for Auger-Aliassime, who started his career with an ignominious 0-8 record in his first eight ATP finals. Auger-Aliassime was not only losing finals he was getting thrashed in most of them.
Times have changed and the 22-year-old Canadian has matured.
Commanding on serve and showing more patience in rallies, Auger-Aliassime dropped his first set of the tournament against Swiss wild card Marc-Andrea Huesler before rallying for a 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-4 win.
A dominant Auger-Aliassime did not drop a set the rest of the tournament, sweeping Miomir Kecmanovic, Alexander Bublik, world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and Rune in succession to become the first man this year to win three consecutive tournament titles.
Streaks collided in this title match: Auger-Aliassime stretched his winning streak to 13 matches while snapping Rune's nine-match winning streak.
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The 19-year-old Rune was playing his third straight final. Rune had not dropped serve all tournament until Auger-Aliassime broke for a 3-1 lead today.
Dotting all areas of the service box with precision, Auger-Aliassime breezed through eight straight points on serve building a one-set lead.
Rune, who will crack the Top 20 for the first time with his run to the final, tested Auger-Aliassime to deuce in three of his first four service games of the second set.
Throughout this torrid tear, Auger-Aliassime has imposed some of his most dangerous serves when under pressure.
The third-seeded Canadian used his serve to set up his net play: Auger-Aliassime won 19 of 23 net points and cracked 34 winners, 13 more than Rune.
Auger-Aliassime broke for 6-5 and served out his fourth championship in 99 minutes.