Gabriela Dabrowski and Félix Auger-Aliassime of Canada celebrate their win over Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz of the United States during quarter-final mixed doubles at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France on July 31, 2024.Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press
Canadian Félix Auger-Aliassime displayed a wide smile after winning his third-round men’s singles match at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday.
The 23-year-old Auger-Aliassime, the 13th seed, not only secured his spot in the quarter-finals but also defeated the formidable No. 4 Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-6 (5).
It was the Canadian’s first win over Medvedev in eight encounters.
“Obviously, at the start, sometimes, you are not sure what to expect. It was a tricky first game, 30-30, you are a bit tense, but I was able to get through that with good serving and that kept going,” said Auger-Aliassime, who fired nine aces to Medvedev’s five.
The 23-year-old from Montreal won in one hour 38 minutes for his first victory against the Russian, who was competing as an Individual Neutral Athlete in Paris.
“It felt like it was a great match, great level from both sides. Unfortunately, it was a day when Félix played very well and I still had chances in the second set, but I didn’t use them,” said Medvedev. “Unfortunately, this is how tennis is sometimes.”
In the next round, Auger-Aliassime will play No. 6 Casper Ruud of Norway, who defeated Argentine Francisco Cerundolo 6-3, 6-4.
Auger-Aliassime lost in the first round at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.
On Wednesday, Auger-Aliassime was helped by a strong return game. He also continued to excel on his serve, not giving up any break points to his opponent for the third consecutive match.
“Overall, I think with the conditions being hot, obviously he would make me work. He was serving well as well, I was thinking ‘Look, just take every serve, don’t get too frustrated if you are not getting your chances on the return. If you are missing a few shots, do not get frustrated. Just focus on what’s good, focus on holding your serve’ which I was doing well,” he said.
“I think that was the mentality.”
Medvedev, the 2021 U.S. Open champion, took the loss in stride.
“But it’s okay, it’s tennis. When you lose you are frustrated, but I did not hurt anyone, so it’s OK,” he said.
Auger-Aliassime was also victorious later Wednesday in the mixed doubles quarter-finals with Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski. They took on American third seeds Taylor Fritz and Coco Gauff and won 7-6 (2), 3-6, 10-8.
In women’s doubles, No. 5 seeds Leylah Annie Fernandez of Laval, Que., and Dabrowski were eliminated in the second round, losing 6-4, 6-0 to the neutral duo of Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider.
Elsewhere in the Olympic tennis tournament, Spain’s dream team met its match as Rafa Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz’s hopes of an Olympic doubles gold medal were ended by American duo Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek on Wednesday. Their progress had captivated the crowds at Roland Garros where Nadal won 14 French Open singles crowns but their journey was ended in a 6-2, 6-4 quarter-final defeat.
Novak Djokovic is back in the Games singles quarter-finals for the fourth time in five appearances at the Olympics. What he really wants, of course, is a gold medal, pretty much the only significant achievement missing from his remarkable resume. Djokovic, a 37-year-old from Serbia who is the top-seeded man in Paris, needed a bit of time to assert himself Wednesday before taking control with a five-game run for a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Dominik Koepfer of Germany.
Iga Swiatek dropped to her knees on the court and clutched at her midsection after getting hit by a ball during a point in the singles quarter-finals Wednesday, but it was her opponent, Danielle Collins of the United States, who stopped playing later in the third set.
Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion who is the top-seeded woman at the Summer Games, was leading 6-2, 1-6, 4-1 when Collins retired from the match after taking a medical timeout, then getting another visit from a trainer. In the semi-finals Thursday, Swiatek will face sixth-seeded Zheng Qinwen of China. Zheng, who reached the final at the Australian Open in January, eliminated Angelique Kerber of Germany 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (6) on Wednesday.