Félix Auger-Aliassime and Victoria Mboko both had their toughest tests of the BNP Paribas Open so far. While Auger-Aliassime was ousted by Arthur Fils, Mboko added another Top 10 win to her resumé against world No. 6 Amanda Anisimova.
The Mboko show continued to be a box office hit in Tennis Paradise, and Tuesday night’s statement victory was no exception.
The world No. 10 cruised to 6-4, 6-1 win against Anisimova in the fourth round, the same scoreline in which she defeated No. 23 seed Anna Kalinskaya in the round prior. The victory was Mboko’s fifth over a Top 10 player in just under a year of making her WTA debut.
Mboko was as efficient as one could be when holding the chance to break. The 19-year-old from Burlington converted on all four of her break point, three which came in the second set. On serve, Mboko was relatively untroubled, dealing with the only break point she faced while conceding just six points on her first delivery.
The Canadian No. 1 put Anisimova’s serve to the test right from the opening game, forcing the American to battle through deuce five for the near ten-minute hold.
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Mboko later got her first break opportunity in the seventh game and got the better off Anisimova in the long rally to take a 4-3 advantage. The Canuck then breezed through her service games the rest of the way, winning eight of the last ten points on her delivery to lead by a set.
Mboko has yet to lose a match this year when clinching the opener and, from the early stages of the second, it looked like her record was going to remain perfect.
The Burlingtonian put the pressure on right away, leading 15-40 in the opening game. Mboko powered her return to score the early break then comfortably held to gain the 2-0 edge.
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After saving break point in the fourth game, the Canadian took over. Mboko broke again at 1-3 to extend her lead before aiming to wrap up the match on return later at 1-5, love-40. Another strong return by the teen secured the second consecutive break, as well as a place in the quarter-finals.
Mboko will get another crack at world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the Indian Wells final eight on Thursday. The Canuck lost to Sabalenka in the Australian Open fourth round earlier this year.
Auger-Aliassime Loses to Fils in Indian Wells Round Four
Félix Auger-Aliassime was taken down by the vengeful Arthur Fils in the BNP Paribas Open fourth round on Tuesday, losing 6-3, 7-6(9).
The Canadian No. 1 eliminated Fils in his return to the tour back in Montpellier.
The in-form Frenchman, coming off a final in Doha, didn’t face a break point till the second set following a strong performance on serve in the opener. Fils dealt with the pressure Auger-Aliassime placed on his delivery, saving three of four break points en route to a tiebreaker in the second. The French No. 2 erased a 0-5 deficit in that tiebreak to seal the match 15 points later.
Fils came out firing early in the match. At 0-1, 40-30, the Frenchman produced a backhand passing shot from past the tramlines to force deuce. Auger-Aliassime was beat at the net again, facing break point which Fils converted.
The Frenchman conceded just a single point on serve in his opening three service games as the 21-year-old held a 4-1 advantage.
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Auger-Aliassime saved double break point in the eighth game to keep the set alive for the time being but, at 5-3, love-15, Fils went on to win 11 of the next 12 points to wrap up the opener and go up a break to start the second set, leading 1-0, 40-love. The Frenchman held to extend his edge to 2-0.
The Canadian No. 1 held his first break point at 2-1, 30-40, but couldn’t find the crucial equalizer. Auger-Aliassime slowly found his rhythm though, being much more aggressive on the forehand that led him to another opportunity to level at 4-3, love-40. Fils saved two but the world No. 32 put his forehand wide, tying the set at four apiece.
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Both players held the rest of the way before Auger-Aliassime took a dominant hold of the tiebreaker, winning the first five points. Fils later cut the Canadian’s lead to 6-5 and, with Auger-Aliassime back on serve, the Frenchman’s defence completed the comeback as the tiebreak was level at 6-all.
Fils put away a volley to hold match point at 8-7, but a strong serve by Auger-Aliassime kept his singles run in Indian Wells alive. Coming out of the third changeover tied at 9-all, a couple of unforced errors from the Montrealer put an end to the match.
Auger-Aliassime remains in the doubles draw as he and his partner Sebastian Korda of the USA play Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev in the round of 16 later Tuesday.
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Victoria Mboko is now the only Canadian still in the running in singles. The world No. 10 battles world No. 6 Amanda Anisimova on Tuesday night.
Feature Photo: Sarah-Jade Champagne
