Tennis has been dominated by legends like Federer and Nadal for a long time but it looks like it could be time for a new generation of tennis stars to emerge. One young player that has been catapulted into the spotlight is 17-years-old Felix Auger-Aliassime after he defeated Lucas Pouille in straight sets.
The pair lined up on the Centre Court at the Rogers Cup with Frenchman Pouille as the clear favourite to go through to the next round. Pouille is ranked 18th in the ATP rankings, whilst Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime is down at 133, having only turned pro last year.
Auger-Aliassime beats Pouille in straight sets
Auger-Aliassime did not look even slightly out of place on the big stage as he powered through to a 6-4, 6-3 victory to announce to the tennis world that he has arrived. The player had come into the tournament on a wildcard and that decision was clearly justified as he showed what he is capable within his convincing win over Pouille.
18th birthday celebrations on hold
With the home crowd backing their new starlet, the centre court atmosphere did not seem to daunt the player, who has had to cancel his 18th birthday plans due to his success in the Rogers Cup.
As well as looking comfortable on the court, he sounds like he has an old head on young shoulders, as demonstrated in his interview: “Against these players, the key is to impose yourself and impose your game because if they feel like they have time to attack, like he did a little bit at the end of the first set, it can get tougher really fast,”
Tennis fans in Canada will certainly be getting excited about the future of this promising player and it will be interesting to see if he can continue to surprise the tennis world.
