Montreal's Félix Auger-Aliassime loses Madrid final to Andrey Rublev
Quebecer won the first set 6-4, but lost the last two 7-5 and was thwarted in bid to become first Canadian man to win a Masters 1000 title.
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MADRID — Montreal’s Félix Auger-Aliassime was beaten 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 by Russia’s Andrey Rublev in the Madrid final on Sunday.
Rublev got the only break of the last set when Auger-Aliassime committed his fifth double fault of the match.
The eighth-ranked player in the world, Rublev had won the 11th game at love: first a ball hit the frame of FAA’s racket, then the latter sent three shots in a row over the lines.
Auger-Aliassime had the upper hand in aces at 14-7, but Rublev had the last word in two hours and 49 minutes.
Ranked 35th in the ATP rankings, Auger-Aliassime was playing in his first career Masters 1000 final and was vying to become the first Canadian man to win one.
Winner of three of the five breaks on Sunday, Rublev has now won five of his six career matches against the Quebecer.
One of these victories came earlier this season, in Rotterdam.
Rublev arrived in Madrid having lost his previous four matches on tour before stringing together six consecutive wins for the title.
Auger-Aliassime defeated Casper Ruud in the fourth round, his first win in 2024 against a top-10 player. He then had walkovers in both the quarterfinals and semifinals to reach the final.
The 23-year-old Quebecer is still in search of his 200th ATP win.
Auger-Aliassime broke twice in the first set to take a 4-1 lead and held on to win the set 6-4 despite giving one of the breaks back.
The Russian took the second set 7-5 with the help of a break in the 12th game, which had started with an ace from the Quebecer.
Rublev went on to claim his second career Masters 1000 title, after Monte Carlo last year.
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