Felix Auger-Aliassime really had to suffer for this one at Roland-Garros . This was not some smooth straight-set win kind of day,he had to drag himself out of trouble against No.31 seed American Brandon Nakashima and somehow turned whole match around.
He won 5-7,6-1,7-6(4),7-6(1),and match lasted 3 hours and 48 minutes . That first set going away could have easily made things messy,but Auger-Aliassime stayed in it and slowly started looking like player with more belief.
And honestly,the main turning point was that 4-1 deficit . At that stage,it felt like Brandon Nakashima had chance to really push him into danger zone. But Auger-Aliassime erased deficit,saved set point in third set's tenth game,and after that momentum just shifted badly.
Now Auger-Aliassime is into last 16,matching his Roland-Garros runs from 2022 and 2024 . Difference this time is he comes in as higher-ranked player at No.6,so expectations also feel different ah. His next opponent is unseeded Chilean Alejandro Tabilo,and that one has tricky written all over it .
Few things standing out from Roland-Garros right now:
- Felix Auger-Aliassime beat No.31 seed American Brandon Nakashima 5-7,6-1,7-6(4),7-6(1) in 3 hours and 48 minutes.
- Juan Manuel Cerundolo beat Spaniard Martin Landaluce 6-4,6-7(9),7-6(4),6-7(4),7-6(10-8) in nearly six-hour battle.
- Matteo Berrettini also advanced after five-set match against Francisco Comesana .
But Auger-Aliassime is not only story here . Juan Manuel Cerundolo had one proper marathon match against Spaniard Martin Landaluce,and winning 6-4,6-7(9),7-6(4),6-7(4),7-6(10-8) is just mad effort . Nearly six hours on court at Roland-Garros is not small thing.
That Cerundolo win is being noted as third-longest match at Roland-Garros since records began in 1996 . And this run already had shock value because he previously stunned World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in second round. So now people will naturally watch him with more curiosity.
And then there is Matteo Berrettini,former Top-10 player,back at French Open for first time since 2021 when he reached quarter-finals . He beat Francisco Comesana in five sets,and now gets Cerundolo next. Both are chasing quarter-finals,so this match could get properly tense .
What makes this phase interesting is how different stories are mixing together . Auger-Aliassime trying to show growth after earlier losses to Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz,Cerundolo suddenly becoming danger man,and Berrettini trying to recreate old French Open form . Grand Slam tennis does this only…one day you think draw is clear,next day everything starts looking complicated .
