After surviving a five-set epic in his opening match at Roland Garros, things proved a little more straightforward for Felix Auger-Aliassime in the second round on Wednesday in Paris.
The ninth seed brushed past Argentine qualifier Camilo Ugo Carabelli, 6-0, 6-3, 6-4, to reach the third round in the French capital for the first time.
Auger-Aliassime’s comeback on Sunday against another South American qualifier, Peru’s Juan Pablo Varillas, had been a dramatic way for the Canadian to secure his maiden win at the clay-court Grand Slam. In contrast to that battle the Canadian rarely looked troubled against the World No. 155 Ugo Carabelli, who was playing just his second tour-level match.
Ugo Carabelli did not drop a set as he qualified for a Grand Slam main draw for the first time in Paris, an achievement he backed up with a thrilling five-set first-round win over Aslan Karatsev. Despite a stubborn effort from the Argentine, however, he was unable to hurt Auger-Aliassime as the Canadian’s power and variety earned him a convincing victory.
Auger-Aliassime came out strongly to canter to the first set without dropping a game, as Ugo Carabelli struggled to settle and was unable to stem a flow of errors. The World No. 9 was made to work harder in the second, but he continued to find rhythm on his forehand and move forward effectively as a solitary break was enough to move two sets clear.
The third set played out in a similar fashion. Auger-Aliassime’s greater baseline power gave him the edge at key moments, and a break in the third game was enough to complete a two-hour, 15-minute victory. The Canadian struck 41 winners compared to just six from Ugo Carabelli, a reflection of the disparity in firepower between the two players.
Awaiting the Canadian next in Paris is the winner of the second-round clash between Filip Krajinovic and qualifier Borna Gojo. Auger-Aliassime will hope to keep his run going as he looks to build on quarter-final appearances at the ATP Masters 1000 events in Madrid and Rome earlier in May.
The World No. 9 is seeking to extend a strong recent record at Grand Slams in Paris. The 21-year-old has reached at least the quarter-finals at the past three majors and reached a maiden Slam semi-final at the US Open last September.