Greek tennis player Stefanos Tsitsipas was eliminated from the Cincinnati Masters on Sunday after suffering a straight-sets defeat to Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Auger-Aliassime, the tournament second seed and world number four, secured a 6-3, 7-5 victory over world number 49 Tsitsipas in an opening-round match that lasted one hour and 28 minutes. The Canadian player, who also holds the number four spot in the power rankings, successfully navigated his debut match at the event.
The defeat ends Tsitsipas's campaign at the outdoor hard-court tournament in Mason, Ohio, which serves as a premier warm-up event ahead of the US Open. Auger-Aliassime advances to the next round following a disciplined performance against his long-time ATP Tour competitor.
First set action
Tsitsipas created an early opportunity to take control in the opening set, earning a break point in the very first game of the match. However, the Greek champion failed to convert the chance. In contrast, Auger-Aliassime capitalized on his first break point opportunity of the contest, quickly breaking serve and building a 3-0 advantage.
The early lead proved decisive for the Canadian. Auger-Aliassime dominated on serve for the remainder of the set, conceding just four points from the service line on his remaining service games. He comfortably closed out the first set 6-3 after nine games.
Second set battle
The second set produced a tighter contest, though Auger-Aliassime maintained control for the majority of the set. The Canadian opened with an immediate break of serve in the first game, but Tsitsipas responded by breaking back in the following game to level the score at 1-1.
Auger-Aliassime restored his advantage in the fifth game, breaking Tsitsipas once again to take a 3-2 lead. He then held serve to extend his margin to 4-2 and subsequently pushed ahead to 5-3, putting himself in position to serve out the match.
Tsitsipas fought back as Auger-Aliassime served for the match, breaking the Canadian to level the set at 5-5. However, Tsitsipas immediately faltered on his own serve, putting together a poor service game that allowed Auger-Aliassime to break back straight away and take a 6-5 lead.
Auger-Aliassime made no mistake on his second attempt to serve out the match. He held serve convincingly to seal the second set 7-5 and complete the victory in one hour and 28 minutes.
Head to head record
The victory marks Auger-Aliassime's fourth win over Tsitsipas across their 11 career meetings on the professional tour. Tsitsipas retains a 7-4 lead in their overall head-to-head record.
The Cincinnati Masters, officially known as the Western & Southern Open, is one of nine ATP Masters 1000 events held annually. Both players have been regulars on the ATP Tour, with Tsitsipas previously reaching Grand Slam finals and winning Masters titles, while Auger-Aliassime continues his strong season near the top of the world rankings.
