FAA's ground control: Felix Auger-Aliassime's scintillating drop shot

By Ed McGrogan Apr 24, 2019
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FAA's ground control: Felix Auger-Aliassime's scintillating drop shot

The 18-year-old Canadian can seemingly do it all, already, including exceptional droppers.

ByEd McGrogan

Published Apr 24, 2019

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Felix Auger-Aliassime's surname is only going to be a tongue-twister for so long. The more he wins, the more he'll be featured on broadcasts, websites and as part the overall conversation. Tennis fans learned how to pronounce Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova's name a long time ago, after her rise up the rankings; given Auger-Aliassime's upward flight path, saying Auger-Aliassime will soon be like saying Smith.

While Auger-Aliassime's latest win, over Malek Jaziri in Barcelona on Wednesday, doesn't jump off the page, one of the 18-year-old Canadian's shots in the match certainly did. FAA didn't go sky-high—this was ground control from Felix, and it was some of the craftiest we've seen on tour this year. (Video above.)

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As Canadian journalist Tom Tebbutt notes in his tweet, Auger-Aliassime's victory could be the start of something special, but there's still plenty of challenges in his way, starting Thursday against Kei Nishikori. And if he wins that one, we'll all get a little more familiar with the player—and the person.

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