Atmane steps up in Florida
The Miami event has been kind to Terence Atmane. The Frenchman dumped Felix Auger-Aliassime on Monday. A gritty three-set win (6-3, 1-6, 6-3) that rockets him into the Masters 1000 round of 16. The immediate pay-off: the 24-year-old will break into the world Top 50 for the first time in his career. Born in Boulogne-sur-Mer, he’s just hit the season target he set with coach Guillaume Peyre. Don’t expect him to stop there. The Frenchman made it clear straight away — he’s aiming even higher in the rankings.
A win clawed out with grit
The match showed different colours. Atmane wrapped up the first set in 37 minutes flat. Then the engine stalled. The Canadian completely took over the second set (1-6). A sore shoulder made life harder. After the match he told a French sports paper he felt the pressure against his opponent’s superior technique in set two. The fix came from his serve — he went back to basics and slammed in as many first balls as he could in the decider.
A third Top-10 scalp
This one matters. Auger-Aliassime sits eighth in the world and came into the match fresh from a Rotterdam final and a Dubai semi. Atmane once again showed he can turn up at the big moments. He made noise last summer at the Cincinnati Masters 1000, reaching the semis after beating Taylor Fritz and Holger Rune. This win breathes life back into his season and buries his early exits at the Australian Open and Indian Wells. Next up is Frances Tiafoe — the American, No. 20, waits in the next round.
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