The Russian qualifier is through to the quarter finals of the Australian Open after coming back to beat the Canadian in five sets.
Aslan Karatsev cinderella story continues at the Australian Open as he pulled off his second straight upset beating the number 20 seed in five sets 3-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4. The number 114 in the world hit 37 winners in the while the Canadian hit 41 unforced errors and was broken five times in the match.
A quick start for Felix
The world number 21 got off to the better start and after holding his opening service game he would get the early break as you can sense nerves played a factor in the Russian opening service game to take a 2-0 lead.
The break didn’t last long as the world number 114 responded right away breaking the Canadian in the very next game to go back on serve at 2-1 before once again failing to hold serve and trading breaks back and forth.
The Montreal native would eventually hold serve to make it 4-1 and would serve out the first set to take it 6-3.
The Canadian continues to dominate
Auger Aliassime took the momentum of winning the first set and took it into the second set and at 1-1 got his first break opportunity of the set and broke as the Russian hit another unforced error.
The number 20 seed faced breakpoints in the following service game but held on and doubled his lead as the qualifier was once struggling on serve to take a 4-1 lead before serving out the second set and winning it 6-1 converting on all three break chances he earned.
The Russian wakes up
With the Canadian one set away from a potential quarterfinal you could sense nerves were starting to affect him and at 2-2 he lost three points thanks to three straight unforced errors giving Karatsev a chance to break.
The Russian would break to take a 3-2 lead and at 5-3 broke the Canadian as he was struggling on serve and hitting the ball in the court to take the third set 6-3.
A change in momentum
That third set seemed to give the Russian life and that this match was far from being over and once again at 2-1 he earned more breakpoints and would break from another one of the Canadian unforced errors to take a 3-1 lead.
The rest of the set both players held serve and the Russian qualifier would serve out the fourth set to take it 6-3 and force a 5th and deciding set.
The Final Chapter
Funny enough it was the first time both players would play a 5th set to decide the winner of a match and again the Montreal native was struggling with his serve and his consistency with his groundstrokes.
At 1-1 it was the Russian with the first breakpoints of the set and he did a good job working Auger Aliassime forehand until he eventually cracked sending a forehand long to take a crucial 2-1 lead.
At 4-2 the Canadian saved four breakpoints in a tough service game with the world number 114 smelling blood and going on the offensive but managed to finally hold serve.
Karatsev would serve out the match winning four straight points to end the match and book his spot in the quarterfinals where he will face either Dominic Thiem or Grigor Dimitrov.
” It was really tough in the beginning to play with him, he’s a really good player, he’s playing really fast and it took me two sets to find a way how to play and then, in the end, I was good for the 3rd, 4th and 5th”
That was the Russian in his on court interview as he was pleased with the win.
