I guess I shouldn’t have wondered, about either guy. Fast forward to this Sunday and the picture has changed completely for both men.
That’s especially true for Auger-Aliassime. He bounced back from his Open debacle by beating Novak Djokovic in a key, final-day Laver Cup match. Since then, he has won three titles in three weeks, and 13 straight matches, one of which was a 6-3, 6-2 blowout victory over No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz on Saturday. All of which has him on the verge of making his trip to the ATP Finals, in Turin.
On Sunday in Basel, FAA beat Holger Rune, and completed a 500-level title run in which he didn’t drop his serve once. Auger-Aliassime has tried to hone his serve-plus-forehand over the last two seasons, and that work seems to have clicked in fully this fall.
“It’s been an amazing week,” Auger-Aliassime said. “Once again in the final, not getting broken all week…A long year, a long stretch of wins, and it’s not over.”
“He served probably the best I’ve ever played against, close to the line, so precise, over 200 kilometers per hour,” Rune marveled.