In the first round of the TERRA WORTMANN OPEN, second-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime (Canada) defeated Nuno Borges (Portugal) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. The Canadian played with complete focus from the very start. It seemed as though he wanted to put their last encounter behind him. At the Australian Open in Melbourne, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, Felix Auger-Aliassime was forced to retire due to injury in the first round against Nuno Borges.
After just 32 minutes, the favored Canadian had already taken the first set 6-3. His serving power was particularly impressive. In five service games, Felix Auger-Aliassime conceded only four points. And since he was able to convert his second break point in the Portuguese player’s second service game, winning the first set was only a matter of time.
Nuno Borges, who played for Tennispark Bärchen Versmold in the 2024 Tennis Bundesliga, not only managed to make the second set more evenly matched, but also capitalized on the Canadian’s first lapse in form at the decisive moment. With the score at 4-3 in favor of the Portuguese player, Felix Auger-Aliassime lost his serve despite holding a 40-0 lead. In the ensuing service game, Nuno Borges did not drop a single point. After 67 minutes, the Portuguese player had equalized.
In the third set, too, neither player gave their opponent much—if any—room on their service games. Only Nuno Borges had a break point right at the start, but Felix Auger-Aliassime was able to fend it off. It took until the score was 4-3—this time in favor of the Canadian—for the decisive break to occur. This time, the world No. 4 capitalized on the opportunity presented to him. After that, it wasn’t the players who faltered, but the technology. The Hawkeye system had stopped working and had to be restarted. The match was interrupted for more than ten minutes. While Felix Auger-Aliassime passed the time serving, Nuno Borges rested. Clearly, the Canadian’s approach was the better choice. Felix Auger-Aliassime then won his service game to love and thus the match 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
“It was a tough opening match. A few points made all the difference. I’m glad I was able to get back into the match after the break and losing the second set. This sets the stage for even more to come here,” Felix Auger-Aliassime said after the match. In the round of 16, however, the world No. 4 faces a very tough challenge. He’ll be taking on rising star Learner Tien (USA). The 20-year-old has now climbed to No. 19 in the world rankings. But the Canadian isn't letting that go to his head. Having broken into the world's top four for the first time this year, he now aims to achieve even more after reaching the semifinals in Halle in 2021.
