Felix Auger-Aliassime Defends Swiss Indoors Basel Title
Canadian Ace Extends Winning Streak
Fourth Time's the Charm Against Hurkacz
Felix Auger-Aliassime rediscovered his winning ways at the Swiss Indoors Basel, successfully defending his title with a hard-fought victory over Hubert Hurkacz in the final. Despite a sluggish start to the season, the Canadian star has showcased his resurgence in Basel, proving that he's a force to be reckoned with.
Auger-Aliassime entered the tournament with a modest 17-18 tour-level record this season, but he quickly found his rhythm on the indoor hard courts of Basel. The 6'5" right-hander defeated a series of talented opponents, including countryman Denis Shapovalov, to reach his second consecutive final in the Swiss city.
In the title match, Auger-Aliassime faced a stern test from Hurkacz, the recent champion in Shanghai and the tournament's No. 4 seed. The two players traded blows in a closely contested first set, before Auger-Aliassime eventually prevailed in a tiebreaker. The Canadian continued to display his resilience in the second set, breaking Hurkacz's serve early on and holding on to his lead to take a two-sets-to-love advantage.
As the third set progressed, Hurkacz fought back with determination, breaking Auger-Aliassime's serve in the ninth game to force another tiebreaker. However, the Canadian ace proved to be too strong in the clutch, claiming the tiebreaker and securing a hard-fought 7-6(3), 7-6(5) victory.
Auger-Aliassime's win in Basel marked his first title of the 2023 season and extended his winning streak to six matches. The victory also marked his fourth ATP Tour title overall and his second in Basel. With this triumph, he consolidates his position as one of the rising stars of the men's game.
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