A win, and a messy ledger
Felix Auger-Aliassime is into the second round, and the scorecard tells two stories at once. The third seed beat Australia’s Rinky Hijikata 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 on Monday night at Flushing Meadows. He also walked off with 50 unforced errors against 48 winners, which is not the ratio a seed of his standing wants to carry out of a first round.
The serve did the heavy lifting. Seventeen aces, 11 double faults, and 18 holds from 22 service games. On return he was close to anonymous, winning six of 21 return games, and that single number explains why an unseeded opponent kept the match alive into a fourth set.
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Fifteen years of knowing each other, first meeting
The two grew up crossing paths on junior courts and had somehow never played a professional match against each other.
“We’ve known each other since we were like 10 years old, but this is the first time we’ve played one another,” Auger-Aliassime said afterwards. “He caused me a lot of problems out there … but most importantly I’m through to the next round.”
Karen Khachanov is next. The Russian needed only three sets to remove Argentina’s Roman Burruchaga, so he arrives at the second round having spent a good deal less time on court than the Canadian.
The rest of the Canadian contingent
Denis Shapovalov plays his second round on Wednesday against France’s Luca Van Assche. The player from Richmond Hill got past Miomir Kecmanovic in four sets on Sunday, while Van Assche needed four of his own to see off Cameron Norrie.
Leylah Fernandez also goes on Wednesday, against Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew. Fernandez removed Zhang Shuai in straight sets on Sunday and Sawangkaew did the same to Panna Udvardy of Hungary.
Three Canadians are still alive in the singles draws. Only one of them is carrying a seeding, and on Monday’s evidence he has work to do with it.
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