Felix Auger–Aliassime fell to Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the Barcelona Open.
The 21-year-old from Montreal fell despite nailing eight aces in the match, while Schwartzman didn’t record a single one.
Auger–Aliassime, the ninth-ranked player in the world, squandered opportunities in the match as he double-faulted four times and allowed Schwartzmann to break him four times in six chances.
On the opposite end, the 15th-ranked Argentine saved eight of 10 break-point tries Auger–Aliassime had and played a more solid game, winning 64 per cent of his service points compared to 59 per cent the Canadian managed.
Schwartzman will see Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta, ranked 19th in the world, in the semifinals of the clay-court event.
The quarterfinal appearance was Auger-Aliassime’s best showing during this year’s clay court showing. He was previously knocked out in the round of 32 at Monte Carlo and the round of 16 in Marrakech.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 22, 2022.
The Canadian Press
