Félix Auger-Aliassime defeated Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 to advance to the round of 16 at the Shanghai Masters early Monday morning.
The three-way match took just under two hours to complete, with the Canadian smashing seven aces and 37 winners en route to the victory.
Sunday’s match was a much quicker affair than his opening match against Camilo Ugo Carabelli, where Auger-Aliassime was forced to rally from a set down to beat the 77th-ranked Argentine in just under three hours.
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Auger-Aliassime found himself in trouble early in the match, as the veteran Carreno Busta forced the first of his three break points on the Canadian's first service game of the match. The 26-year-old would fight back and earn the gold, as the pair would stay on serve through six games.
Auger-Aliassime took control of the set with the first break of the match to take a 4-3 lead. After consolidating, he would finish off the impressive set with a second-straight break to take the first 6-3.
Looking to gain the advantage in the second set, Auger-Aliassime forced a pair of break points on the Spaniard’s first service game but was unable to convert. It would prove costly as Carreno Busta would immediately follow up and earn his first break of the match to take a 2-1 lead. It would be the only blip in the set, as the pair would stay on serve for the rest of the set. Auger-Aliassime earned two late break points, down 5-4, with a chance to get back on serve, but Carreno Busta saved both opportunities and would hold to finish off the second set 6-4.
The world No. 6 flipped the switch in the third, breaking the veteran twice and drilling three of his seven aces to close out the victory in style, 6-1.
Auger-Aliassime is now 2-0 against Carreno Busta, with the other victory coming in Rotterdam in 2020.
The 4th-seeded Montrealer will take on 20th seed Casper Ruud in the next round, after the Norwegian defeated American Learner Tien on Sunday.
The Canadian’s round of 16 match against Ruud is scheduled for early Wednesday morning. The two are familiar foes, having clashed eight times in their careers. Auger-Aliassime holds a 5-3 advantage over the 24th-ranked Ruud, including a win in their only meeting this season in Monte Carlo. He has also beaten Ruud four straight times since losing to the former world No. 2 at the ATP Finals in 2022.
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