Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated China’s Zhang Zhizhen 6-3, 7-6(4) in the first round of men’s singles at the Dubai Tennis Championships on Monday.
The top seed in the tournament, Auger-Aliassime, hit 11 aces, made 3 double faults, and broke serve twice in 11 opportunities.
The Montreal native also won 78% of his first-serve points.
Zhang hit 10 aces and only had 1 double fault, with a first-serve scoring rate of 71%. However, he failed to convert all four break point opportunities.
Auger-Aliassime had a chance to avoid a final decider, but Zhang Yong fought to extend the game. After serving at 6-5, Auger-Aliassime first led 30-0, and then 40-15. There were many ties before the game, and Zhang Yixing finally won the game.
In the deciding game, Auger-Aliassime led 5-3 to seal the victory, scoring two of the final three points.
