Auger-Aliassime loses third-set tiebreaker to Rublev in Qatar semifinals
DOHA — Montreal’s Felix Auger-Aliassime had his comeback attempt fall just short in a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (5) loss to Andrey Rublev on Friday in the semifinals of the Qatar Open.
Down 6-3 in the third-set tiebreaker, Auger-Aliassime scored the next two points on serve. But when the serve rotated to Rublev, the fifth-seeded Russian converted on his third match point.
Auger-Aliassime lost despite firing 21 aces in the match. The world No. 23 failed to convert what turned out to be a crucial break-point chance in the first game of the third set as the players held serve the rest of the way.
Rublev took the first set when he broke Auger-Aliassime in the clinching game, but the Canadian responded with a strong second set in which he fired seven aces and won 81 per cent of service points.
