By Canadian Press

Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime drops first match against Rafael Nadal

May 8, 2019 | 10:06 AM

MADRID — Canadian teen Felix Auger-Aliassime’s first match against Rafael Nadal went the way most do when the Spanish star is playing on clay.

The second-seeded Nadal, playing on his favourite surface at home, beat the Montreal native 6-3, 6-3 in a second-round match on Wednesday at the Mutua Madrid Open.

The 18-year-old Auger-Aliassime, ranked 30th in the world after an excellent start to 2019, was on serve with Nadal until the 11-time French Open champion recorded a break to go up 5-3 at the ATP Tour Masters 1000 event.

On the penultimate point of that game, Nadal stayed alive with several great defensive shots. On the next point, Auger-Aliassime had a shot clip the net and go long, giving the five-time Madrid champ the break.

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Auger-Aliassime cashed in on his lone break-point opportunity when Nadal double-faulted late in the second set, narrowing the Canadian’s deficit to 5-3. But Nadal broke back the next game to end it after Auger-Aliassime fought off five match points.

Nadal was far more successful on first serves, winning 84 per cent of his points when he got it in as compared to 65 per cent for Auger-Aliassime.

The Canadian made 30 unforced errors, 14 more than Nadal.

Auger-Aliassime beat fellow Canadian Denis Shapovalov in the first round, while Nadal got a bye in the opening round.

The Canadian Press