Felix Auger-Aliassime earned his first career ATP Tour main draw win Friday night, defeating fellow Canadian Vasek Pospisil 6-2, 7-6 (4) at Indian Wells.
First @ATPWorldTour main draw win.
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 10, 2018
Welcome to the big stage @FelixTennis!
He tops fellow Canadian Pospisil 6-2 7-6(4).#BNPPO18 pic.twitter.com/8cnFg01whX
The 17-year-old Montreal native won qualifying matches on Tuesday and Wednesday to advance to the round of 128 and kept his hot streak going Friday against one of his boyhood tennis idols. Auger-Aliassime will join fellow Canadian teen phenom Denis Shapovalov in the round of 64 after dominating play from behind the baseline all night long. He recorded 11 aces to Pospisil's two and held serve in all 10 of his service games, facing just three break points.
Shapovalov will play Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas Saturday, while Auger-Aliassime will face another Canadian, Milos Raonic, on Sunday afternoon.
And @felixtennis takes the all 🇨🇦 matchup in 2 sets for his 1st #ATPMasters1000 win! Next up for the young phenom .. 🇨🇦 @milosraonic ..📸@Galloots pic.twitter.com/mDAreHvYn4
— Tennis Canada (@TennisCanada) March 10, 2018
"I went through all of the emotions during that match and it all revealed at the end," Auger-Aliassime said after the win. "To play Vasek, one of my idols growing up, one of the Canadians I looked up to growing up, and then to play Milos in the next round, if I could come out of this little Canadian group, that would be unbelievable."