Felix Auger-Aliassime's first ATP title will have to wait for another tournament.
Playing in his fourth career final, the Canadian teenager mounted a comeback but in the end fell to the Frenchman Gael Monfils — 14-years his senior — at the Rotterdam Open, 6-2, 6-4.
It was a slugfest between the two in their first-ever meeting as they battled with long baseline rallies that oftentimes left the elder Monfils hunched over (who was sick throughout the tournament). And while Auger-Aliassime picked up his game late in the second set, his mounting unforced errors were his undoing; he had 32 to Monfils' 14.
Tied at two-all in the first set, Auger Aliassime couldn't close out a 40-15 lead in the fifth game, and Monfils went on to rattle off six straight games to go up 6-2, 2-0. He then took a commanding 5-1 lead in the second.
Auger-Aliassime began to claw his way back as he held serve. In the next game, the Montreal native faced double match point but after trading groundstroke after groundstroke, a pumped-up 19-year-old ended the rally with a forehand into the corner to send the game to deuce. He then staved off two more match points before finally breaking Monfils for the first time on the night.
Felix still fighting!@felixtennis saves 4 Championship Points & forces Monfils to try to serve it out again at 5-4... pic.twitter.com/NDqCJJGuVU
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 16, 2020
Auger-Aliassime would get the set to 5-4, but was not able to return Monfils' serve on the fifth match-point attempt.
“Felix is a great guy. A humble guy. Very strong. He’s a very talented guy,” Monfils said after he learned he would be playing the Canadian in the final. “Definitely, I expect a tough match, but a cool match because I think we might see him for a long time, definitely in this part of a tournament on this stage.”
His fourth finalist trophy will now be added to his cabinet alongside awards from Rio, Lyon and Stuggart from last season. Despite the loss, the 21st-ranked Auger-Aliassime should return to the ATP Tour's top 20 for the first time since late October.