Auger-Aliassime Faces Setback in Tournament Race

Basel, Switzerland — Canadian tennis player Felix Auger-Aliassime faced a tough challenge at the ATP 500 Swiss Indoors Basel on Friday, forcing his retirement in the quarter-finals after losing the first set. Auger-Aliassime was trailing 3-6 when he decided to walk to the net, ending his match against an unnamed opponent just 45 minutes into play.

The 25-year-old superstar recently secured the title at the ATP 250 event in Brussels, which propelled him to ninth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. However, he remains 340 points behind the eighth spot currently held by Italian player Lorenzo Musetti.

Auger-Aliassime, who tied the knot with Nina Ghaibi last month, is eager to qualify for the year-end championships, having previously competed in 2022. His win-loss record for the year stands at 43-21, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. He is expected to continue his campaign next week, although his recent retirement leaves questions about his immediate form.

In related matches, a fellow Canadian player, Shapovalov, also faced a setback during his match. He was leading when his opponent, Brazilian Fonseca, also decided to retire, granting Fonseca a chance to reach the semi-finals for the second time this year at the ATP 500 level.

In the midst of fierce competition, Auger-Aliassime will hope to regain his momentum as he looks ahead to future tournaments.