Auger-Aliassime, Defending Finalist in Madrid, Falls in the Second Round and Will Drop Out of the Top 25
Last year, Félix Auger-Aliassime reached his first final in a Masters 1000 tournament at Madrid. After a series of withdrawals and walkovers in his section of the draw, the Canadian was ultimately defeated in a thrilling match by Andrey Rublev (4-6, 7-5, 7-5).
Determined to return to the final in the Spanish capital this year, Auger-Aliassime, seeded 18th, entered the fray in the second round against Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
The younger brother of Francisco, who came through qualifying with wins over Thiago Seyboth Wild and Botic van de Zandschulp, had already secured a victory in the main draw against Aleksandar Kovacevic (3-6, 7-5, 6-2).
The favorite in this match, Auger-Aliassime, struggled to find an answer to the Argentine left-hander’s serve and failed to convert any of the five break points he earned. On the other hand, Cerundolo secured the only break of the match early in the second set.
In the end, the Canadian, who has won two titles this season (Adelaide and Montpellier), fell in straight sets (7-6, 6-4), suffering a major setback. This defeat confirms his exit from the top 25 after the tournament, as he is currently ranked 19th.
Meanwhile, Juan Manuel Cerundolo earns his first career win over a top-20 player and advances to the next round, where he will face Daniil Medvedev. The Russian received a walkover after Laslo Djere withdrew, sending him straight into the round of 16.
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