“The ball doesn’t lie:” Felix Auger-Aliassime on narrow UTS2 defeat and what’s next in 2020

Felix Auger-Aliassime talks to Tennis Majors after falling in the UTS final to Alexander Zverev. In this Tennis Majors exclusive he gives his thoughts on the competition and looks ahead to his next tennis tournaments.

Felix Auger-Aliassime, UTS 2020

TENNIS MAJORS (IN ASSOCIATION WITH SCRINE)

August 4, 2020

Tennis Majors: What’s your feeling after losing the UTS final in sudden death?

Felix Auger-Aliassime: I wish I could have won. I think the fourth set wasn’t really good for me. Leading two sets to one I feel like I could have done better in that set. I did a couple bad mistakes, free points, and he took advantage of that, he played well on his cards and I wasn’t able to come back from that. The sudden death, it’s tough. It’s a bit of a coin toss. A mishit return from me on the second point which wasn’t good. I tried to play my game, and come in, but bad mistake again.

TM: But it was fun, no?

FAA: It was a good event. I had some great fun the whole weekend. It was good to be here. I competed well, I had fun, so what else can I ask for? Just the win.

TM: So you had match point, was it disappointing not to convert?

FAA: It was over quick. I just missed the return and it was over. I had an opening. I had my racquet on it but I couldn’t make it so that’s how it goes.

Auger-Aliassime: “I’m looking to go to the United States if it plays”

TM: Do you want to play more in this format?

FAA: Yes, maybe in the future. I’ll probably play more. Weekends, you get quick matches in that are intense against good players so I think it’s a good format to have, outside of the normal tour, and probably you’ll see me playing it in the future.

A lesson in how to paint the line from @felixtennis 👏#UTShowdown pic.twitter.com/sPQaLtvpL5

— Tennis Majors (@Tennis_Majors) August 1, 2020

TM: Zverev maybe didn’t play better than you? It was extremely close…

FAA: The results don’t lie. The ball doesn’t lie. You have to win. He beat me today again, so he was better at the important moments, he beat me in the sudden death again, he was able to come back well in that fourth quarter, he’s obviously a great player. I think he served well, that was really good from him. He did what he had to do and he did it very well so credit to him for that.

TM: So what next after UTS?

FAA: A bit of rest. A few days of rest and then back to training for the next tournaments.

TM: What tournaments?

FAA: The Cincinnati Masters and the US Open are coming up. They are still on the calendar. So I’m looking to go there if it plays.

Auger-Aliassime: “UTS is a great event”

TM: Do you think that this UTS format can help you in the next tournament with normal rules?

FAA: I think UTS is good in a way where you really have to play every point. Every point is so important. Maybe until the end, when you have one guy who has too much of a lead then it’s kind of over. But you know you have to stay in the present, you have to try, I think it’s a good format for that. At least I got a good level of matches in, I got pretty intense, so it’s probably going to be beneficial in the future.

TM: You are not too sad to see Zverev with the thunder (trophy) at the end?

FAA: No it’s okay. It’s a great event. A great ending. An amazing trophy, so for sure I would have loved to lift it but that’s how it is. It was a good rumble in the jungle.