The Canadian born in 2000 Auger-Aliassime faces Djokovic in the quarters: the qualitative leap on clay thanks to Uncle Toni, who raised Rafa. In his spare time he plays the piano and has also brought his charity project to Rome
Then the cure really works. Felix Auger-Aliassime, game after game, is proving to have clicked and his career, perhaps, is about to take off once and for all. The Internationals of Rome and today’s challenge against Novak Djokovic could become the best photograph of this constant, definitive growth, whose creator is one and only one, his Spanish coach with a high-sounding surname. Toni Nadal is leading the 21-year-old Canadian to explore new corners of his game and find a previously unknown mental strength: the eight finals he lost before celebrating an ATP title this year are now becoming a memory. This new mix of quality here at the Foro Italico served, above all, to recover the always insidious Davidovich Fokina in the third set in the round of 32, with a tie break dominated in the second, while today Felix showed maximum concentration to overcome without any risk the ‘American Giron 6-3 6-2. The winner between Stan Wawrinka and Novak Djokovic awaits him in the quarterfinals, with good feelings for what may happen over the weekend. After all, the Canadian just a week ago in Madrid had inflicted a very severe lesson, 6-1 6-2, on our Jannik Sinner.