Photo : Rio Open/FotoJump|Photo : Imagen Shop
This time last month, Félix Auger-Aliassime was 107th in the ATP Tour’s official rankings. Fast-forward to today and the Canadian is placed in the top 60 following a fantastic February, earning him the title of Tennis Canada’s Mover of the Month.
It all started relatively low key. A 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 loss to Christian Garin in the first round of the Argentina Open didn’t necessarily suggest Auger-Aliassime was primed for the most successful month of his young career so far.
Not to be for Félix in Buenos Aires, but the youngster treated us to some pretty exceptional shotmaking.
No such thing as losses, only learning opportunities. On to the next one! #FelixRising https://t.co/PNS36ktq3o
— Tennis Canada (@TennisCanada) February 12, 2019
That all changed at the Rio Open in Brazil, however. The Montreal-native staged a remarkable run to the final, which began with a win over second-seed Fabio Fognini to set up a rematch with Garin in the second round. There, Auger-Aliassime made no mistake as he beat the Chilean 7-5, 6-4, advancing to a quarter-final clash with Jaume Munar, who he also swept aside without dropping a set.
In the last four, the Canadian saw off Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay to reach the first tour-level final of his career, ensuring he became the youngest ever ATP 500 finalist and he jumped to 60th in the rankings. However, Auger-Aliassime couldn’t find a way past Serbian Laslo Djere, losing 6-3, 7-5.
Next up was the Brazil Open, where the 18-year-old looked on course for another run to the latter rounds. A second win in less than a week over Cuevas, this time in the first round, was followed by victory over Albert Ramos-Viñolas, which set up a rematch with Djere in the quarter-finals. But the Canadian fell just short against the Serbian again, losing 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
Despite that defeat, Auger-Aliassime moved up further to 58th in the rankings, earned a main draw wild card at Indian Wells and is our pick for February’s Mover of the Month. Not too shabby, Félix!
A brilliant couple of weeks in comes to an end for Félix Auger-Aliassime in the quarter-finals of the Sao Paulo #BrasilOpen.
Through three tournaments, the 18-year-old finds himself at a career-high ranking within the Top 60 having started outside the Top 100! #FélixRising pic.twitter.com/dWflmVunp7
— Tennis Canada (@TennisCanada) March 2, 2019
Honourable Mentions
Narrowly missing out on the Mover of the Month title, Bianca Andreescu also posted some impressive results in February. Moving up ten places in the WTA rankings from 70th to a career-high 60th, it’s clear she had a successful time on the court.
The 18-year-old made a brilliant run at the Mexican Open, seeing off the likes of Jil Teichmann, Mihaela Buzărnescu and Zheng Saisai without dropping a single set. However, she fell just short of a place in the final, losing in the last four to fifth-seed Sofia Kenin, who would go on to fall to Wang Yafan in the final.
Likewise, Brayden Schnur is also unlucky not to be named February’s winner. Schnur had a breakthrough month which culminated in him reaching the final of the New York Open, having gone through two rounds of qualifiers.
Only America’s Reilly Opelka had the quality to stop Schnur in his tracks, beating the Canadian 6-1, 6-7(7), 7-6(7) in a captivating final. Regardless, the run helped Schnur jump from 158th in the rankings on February 4, to 106 today.
You’ve got so much to be proud of, @BraydenSchnur.
Congratulations on a life-changing week in New York! pic.twitter.com/oCIIhJ4iiI
— Tennis Canada (@TennisCanada) February 18, 2019
Another honourable mention must go to Sharon Fichman. The 28-year-old produced the biggest result of her doubles comeback in Acapulco last week. Reaching the semi-finals alongside her partner Maria Sanchez, the duo were beaten 6-7(3), 6-2, 13-11 by eventual champions Zheng Saisai and Victoria Azarenka.