Auger-Aliassime doesn’t hold back after defeat to Jannik Sinner

Felix Auger-Aliassime took an in-depth look at his Monte Carlo Masters 1000 quarterfinal loss to Jannik Sinner. The Canadian identified where in his opinion he lost the match to the world number two. “With him the exchanges are very fast, it’s a bit like ping pong. I also try to play fast, but he is very good at that. I think the exchanges in general were not bad, I was able to do good things as well, but I didn’t start them well. He was better than me in that,” are the words of Auger-Aliassime in an exclusive interview with Ubitennis.com.

Sinner’s pressure was constant: “It was complicated for me to get into the exchange, to take a favorable position right away. When he plays deep and fast from the back, it takes time away from you. If you are further back you have a little more time to hit, but at the same time you lose court. I like to have time to see the game and build, but with him it is difficult. You have to find the right position, otherwise you’re always on defense.”

As expected, Sinner has improved a lot in bunts: “He has worked so much on this shot, it’s no longer a surprise. He uses it well, even in difficult situations. But the real problem is the beginning of the exchange: if you don’t have enough depth or speed in the first shots, you give him the opportunity to play the bunt. It’s more a matter of position: if you are off balance, that shot becomes very effective.”

Auger-Aliassime in any case has some regret: “In a way yes, I think I could have done better. There were times when I was inside the exchange, when I could push it. But I made a few too many mistakes, and the game turned. In some games I didn’t have enough quality. I would have liked to have another chance, but there will be other weeks to try,” the North American promised.