Ramos-Vinolas routs Auger-Aliassime in Indian Wells second round
Felix Auger-Aliassime is out of the Indian Wells Masters after just one match, as he falls to Albert Ramos-Vinolas on Sunday. Fellow Turin contenders Matteo Berrettini and Jannik Sinner were more successful
Albert Ramos-Vinolas | © Panoramic
Felix Auger-Aliassime crashed out of the BNP Paribas Open with a 6-4, 6-2 loss to Albert Ramos-Vinolas during second-round action on Sunday afternoon.
Auger-Aliassime was undone by a dismal serving performance. Seventh-seeded Auger-Aliassime put in just 58 percent of his first deliveries, struck seven double-faults, and was broken four times. He managed to break the Ramos-Vinolas serve only once.
An open section of the draw will see Ramos-Vinolas go up against 29th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili, who beat American qualifier Christopher Eubanks 6-4, 6-3 in one hour and 15 minutes.
Monfils, Berrettini, and Sinner all win
In a less surprising result, Gael Monfils rolled into the last 32 with a 6-4, 6-2 rout of Gianluca Mager. Monfils and Mager also squared off last week on the indoor hard courts of Sofia, where the Frenchman cruised 6-2, 6-2. Once again, there was absolutely no trouble whatsoever for Monfils.
Monfils will now face former world No 5 player Kevin Anderson, who upset 17th seed Lorenzo Sonego 7-6, 7-6 in a little over two hours.
While Auger-Aliassime’s Nitto ATP Finals hopes took a hit, Italians Matteo Berrettini and Jannik Sinner improved their own chances. Berrettini beat Alejandro Tabilo 6-4, 7-5, while Sinner skated past John Millman 6-2, 6-2.
“It would be a really nice thing to end the year,” Berrettini said of Turin qualification. “I didn’t expect it when I started the year, but now I’m in a good position. I have been in London and I know how great it was, and I think having it in Italy would be great for me, for the crowd, and for tennis in general. It would mean a lot to everybody, with Jannik as well. It is just showing that Italian tennis is really healthy; a lot of players are coming up and playing well.”
“I am not thinking about that goal at the moment, to be honest,” Sinner commented. “I am just trying to be focused on every match that I play, every point that I play, and then we’ll see at the end of the year what is coming. I am just happy that I played my first match today in a good way.”
Berrettini is currently sixth in the 2021 race. Sinner is ninth (not including Rafael Nadal, who is out for the rest of the season). Both will now face big-serving Americans for a spot in the round of 16.
Berrettini will next meet 31st seeded Taylor Fritz, who beat countryman Brandon Nakashima 6-3, 6-4, while Sinner will take on 20th seeded John Isner, who defeated Yoshihito Nishioka 6-3, 6-4.
Tsitsipas wins in straight sets
Second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas kicked off his Indian Wells campaign with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Pedro Martinez in one hour and 33 minutes.
He will next meet 25th seed Fabio Fognini, who scored a three-set win over German Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
