Felix Auger-Aliassime produced one of the best performances of his career on Manic Monday at the
Wimbledon Championships, stalling a comeback from fourth seed
Alexander Zverev to advance to his maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal.
The #NextGenATP star rallied from a break down in both the first and second set, withstanding a furious comeback from the German before closing out the marathon match with a 6-4 7-6(6) 3-6 3-6 6-4 victory.
“It’s a dream come true, I’m just a normal guy from Canada,” said Auger-Aliassime after the match. “It’s the biggest victory of my life, under a closed roof the atmosphere was amazing and I’m living this win with you.”
In a match that included a rain delay leading to it lasting just over four hours, Auger-Aliassime hit 54 winners and struck 17 aces past the German, as he pulled off the biggest win of his career.
“It was super difficult, knowing I have never beaten him, let alone won a set against Alex," said Auger-Aliassime. "When he started to come back I really needed to dig deep and without the fans it would have been a lot tougher."
Riding a 10-2 match record on grass in 2021, the 20-year old next faces seventh seed
Matteo Berrettini for a spot in the semifinals. The pair met in the final in Stuttgart two years ago, with the Italian prevailing in straight sets.
"It sounds great to be in the quarter-finals, against a good friend of mine, one of the best players in the world," said Auger-Aliassime. "I think it will be exciting and I will attempt to play my best tennis.”