Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime didn't have it easy in his first match at the Halle grass-court tournament in Germany, but he found a way to win.
Auger-Aliassime, the fourth seed, needed more than two hours (2:12) to defeat American Marco Giron 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.
After dominating the first set with two breaks, Auger-Aliassime pulled away in the second set. He gave up three breaks to his opponent, who was very solid on his returns of serve.
The 21-year-old Quebecer took the lead in the third set when he broke Giron in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead. He completed his match with 11 aces and five double faults and also totalled 23 unforced errors -- compared to 28 for Giron.
In the next round, Auger-Aliassime will face another American, Mackenzie McDonald, who defeated Swiss Marc-Andrea Huesler.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 14, 2022.
