Felix Auger-Aliassime returns to Pedro Martinez at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament March 11 in Indian Wells, Calif.The Associated Press
Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime and Leylah Annie Fernandez are on to the next round of the Indian Wells Masters tournament.
He beat Spain’s Pedro Martinez 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the Round of 64 of the men’s single’s tournament on Saturday.
Fernandez then dispatched Emma Navarro of the United States 6-2, 6-4 in the women’s bracket.
Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., played American Peyton Stearns later Saturday in the women’s singles tournament.
Auger-Aliassime rallied despite being down a break in the first set.
He smashed 10 aces to Martinez’s none, but went 2 for 17 on break points.
Auger-Aliassime claimed the only break of the second set in the ninth game for a hard-earned victory in his first tour-level meeting with Martinez.
The eighth-seeded Auger-Aliassime will face Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo or American wild card Jack Sock in the next round.
Fernandez had two aces to Navarro’s none, winning 5 of 12 break points to the American’s 2 of 4.
Fernandez will face the winner of a match between France’s Caroline Garcia and Hungary’s Dalma Galfi.