The Canadian player is still mired in potholes and is defeated by the Japanese Yosuke Watanuki in the first round in Washington.
Wednesday’s day at the Citi Open brought the debut of one of the favorites to win the title in the American event. Félix Auger-Aliassime He was debuting in the tournament and had just lost surprisingly in the first round of Wimbledon. Yosuke Watanuki He was trailing 4-1 in the first round when his rival was forced to retire, giving him a pass to the next phase. The match launched the personal face-to-face between the two tennis players and the Canadian started as a favourite.
Watanuki strikes first
The game started very evenly, but it was the Japanese who got the first break option in the third game. However, he was not able to consummate it and the draw remained on the scoreboard after Watanuki saved three from break just after. These were the only options in the entire set, which led to the tie break deciding who would take the first set in their pocket. The tiebreaker began with the Japanese making it 4-1 and giving the feeling of winning it easily, although the Canadian recovered quickly. Finally, and after 22 points, Watanuki added the first set with a 12-10 tie.
The Japanese makes the surprise jump
The second set continued in the same vein as the first, with great equality from the start. Before starting the fourth game, the Japanese needed medical assistance to treat his right shoulder. Despite this, his level did not drop and he was able to keep his rival from dominating the match with his forehand. Equality led to a new tie break from which Watanuki emerged victorious again. With the score 6-3, he connected a beautiful backhand to the parallel counter that left an Auger Aliassime who was eliminated from the tournament without options.
2023-08-03 00:40:07
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