Auger-Aliassime outclasses Ben Shelton for spot in last 16
Felix Auger-Aliassime beat Ben Shelton 6-4, 6-2, 6-1 on Saturday afternoon. He faces Carlos Alcaraz, the No 3 seed, in the next round
Auger-Aliassime, Roland-Garros, 2024 © Chryslène Caillaud / Panoramic
Felix Auger-Aliassime moved confidently into the fourth round of Roland-Garros by comprehensively outplaying Ben Shelton, dispatching the American 6-4, 6-2, 6-1 in the French capital.
In a match that was suspended yesterday due to the interminable Paris rain, the Canadian put out a firm statement of intent in a thoroughly impressive performance.
Shelton could do little to counter the quality from across the net as he grappled with his movement on a surface that is still very alien to him. The American has only won one match in his career on the clay courts of Europe, as opposed to Auger-Aliassime, who is a seasoned and highly adept clay-courter.
This greater surface experience was a significant factor as Shelton struggled to settle, hacking far more groundstrokes into the net and out of court as his balance suffered from a poor lack of positioning.
Nevertheless, there will be raised eyebrows at the one-sided nature of this score line as this was widely expected to be a close and exciting encounter between two bright young talents.
Instead, the world No 21 powered to a clinical win, claiming six breaks in total without reply. Indeed, Shelton failed to carve out a single break point opportunity as his opponent cantered to an impressive finish.
huge task awaits auger-aliassime, but getting back to his best
There will be far better days on the Parisian clay for Shelton. His talent on hard courts is undeniable, and such is his ability that there is little doubt he will learn to adapt to clay-court tennis. With so few matches on the surface, it is hardly a surprise that he is still on that learning curve.
“I struggled finding rhythm today,” Shelton admitted in his post-match press conference.
“Finding some things difficult. Not the outcome I wanted, but I mean, it’s part of tennis. Felix just played way, way too well today.”
For Auger-Aliassime, this victory signals a return to some of his best form after 18 months of significant struggles. This run is just the tonic the Canadian needed, as he looks sharp and confident heading into the second week of Roland-Garros.
But he faces a mammoth task in his next outing. Third-seeded Carlos Alcaraz awaits him in the fourth round, having dispatched Sebastian Korda last night with some of his breathtaking best tennis. The Spaniard himself admitted after the match that he feels back to top form.
Auger-Aliassime will need to find his finest tennis to have any chance of coming through that encounter. A few months ago, this would have been as good as a foregone conclusion.
After these greatly promising opening three wins in Paris, however, this no longer the case. It appears the Auger-Aliassime we have all been desperately hoping to see again over the past year and a half is beginning to re-emerge.
In these cold and rain-soaked days, that is very warming news.
