New York (AFP) – Felix Auger-Aliassime says he is thankful to get another shot at a US Open quarter-final after embarking on his deepest run at a Grand Slam in nearly four years. The Canadian beat 15th seed Andrey Rublev in straight sets on Monday to reach his first quarter-final at the top level since the 2022 Australian Open. That marked the last in a run of three straight appearances in the last eight of majors, with his best showing when he made the 2021 US Open semi-finals.
“It feels even better than the first time,” Auger-Aliassime said of returning to the quarter-finals in New York. “I think the first time at 21 I was kind of on my way up. To have a few setbacks, injuries, struggles with confidence… to come back for a second time to the quarter-finals here, it feels much better. It feels more deserved. I’m soaking in every moment here.”
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The former world number six is seeded 25th at the US Open this year but says he’s a smarter and more appreciative player now. Auger-Aliassime won trophies in Adelaide and Montpellier in the early months of the season but struggled to find his best form at the biggest events. He had won just once on his past three trips to Flushing Meadows and failed to get past the second round at the last five Grand Slam tournaments. Those difficult moments he has endured have taught him to fully embrace the highs.
“At 21, you feel like a bit like, oh, it just happens kind of naturally, and you don’t question,” he said. “You feel like you’re going to be in that position every year or you feel like, okay, was it that difficult? But then you’re like, okay, it is difficult, and you need to prepare, and you need to be very precise with everything you do in your work. I think I appreciate this position I’m in now to be in quarter-finals here again much more than I did a couple of years ago.”
Auger-Aliassime earned only his second win against Rublev in nine attempts, backing up his defeat of third seed Alexander Zverev in the previous round. He will play Australia’s Alex de Minaur in the last eight on Wednesday in their first Grand Slam meeting.
© 2024 AFP
