Auger-Aliassime Can’t Solve Mensik in US Open Round One – Tennis Canada

Félix Auger-Aliassime was unable to find the good form he displayed at the Olympics and in Cincinnati over the summer, falling to up-and-coming Czech teenager Jakub Mensik in straight sets in the first round of the US Open on Tuesday. 

Despite a quick start, the Canadian struggled to find consistency, throwing in far too many errors and was broken at the end of every set in a 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 loss. He is now on a three-match losing streak at the US Open, having not gotten past the second round ever since reaching the 2021 semifinals. 

36 unforced errors and 10 double faults were Auger-Aliassime’s undoing in New York. Mensik also gave him little to work with, committing just 15 unforced errors of his own while striking 25 winners. The Czech lost just five points on his first serve and faced only two break points while having 16 chances on his opponent’s serve. 

After a quick start for the Canadian, breaking in the opening game with a forehand winner, things went downhill quickly. Auger-Aliassime double-faulted to go down 15-40 in his first service game and then shanked a forehand on the second break point to immediately put the set back on serve. 

Read also: Pre-US Open ATP Power Rankings – Alcaraz and Djokovic Look for Quick Bounce Back

Errors were a problem early on and a missed forehand at 1-2 gave Mensik two more break points. The Czech fired a forehand winner to take the lead. The closest Auger-Aliassime came to getting back into the set was a love-30 look at 2-4, but he proceeded to lose the next seven straight points to allow Mensik to hold and then get triple set point on the Canadian’s serve. 

Even though Auger-Aliassime saved the first three set points with big serves, back-to-back forehand misses handed his teenage opponent the opening set.  

All through the second, the Canadian was under pressure. The only time he did not face break points was in his opening service game. While he managed to survive through most of the set, primarily due to some clutch serving, he cracked as he served to stay in it at 4-5, firing a forehand into the net on the sixth break point of the set. 

Read also: Rob Shaw to Face Ymanitu Silva in 2024 Paralympics First Round

The struggles carried over into the third, where in his opening service game Auger-Aliassime double-faulted to go down break point and struck a forehand into the net to fall behind immediately. 

While the Canadian cleaned up his game a bit in the third, it was too little, too late. He had one chance to reclaim the break in the seventh game but missed a forehand. That was the last gasp for Auger-Aliassime, as he was broken serving to stay in the match in the very next game.  

All five Canadians are scheduled to play their first-round singles matches on Tuesday. Auger-Aliassime will now shift his focus to the Davis Cup, where he is expected to lead Team Canada in the group stage next month in Manchester. 

Click here to read the full US Open preview.