Photo: ITF/Paul Zimmer
Félix Auger-Aliassime saw his 2024 Olympics come to an end on Saturday in Paris with a fourth-place finish in the singles after a tight loss to Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti in the bronze-medal match.
In a tight affair, it was Musetti’s consistency that narrowly won the day as he wore Auger-Aliassime down to claim a 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 win and the bronze medal.
Auger-Aliassime will not be leaving Paris empty-handed, however, having won the bronze in the mixed doubles with Gabriela Dabrowski on Friday. A win over Musetti would have made the Canadian the only tennis player at the 2024 Olympics to win multiple medals.
It was a very even match with little between the two men. Musetti was just able to apply a bit more pressure on return, winning 69 per cent of the Canadians second serve points and creating a dozen break point chances. Auger-Aliassime only had four chances to break in the match.
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A slow start put Auger-Aliassime behind the eight ball early, as he struggled in the long rallies against Musetti’s deep, spin-heavy ground strokes. It took five tries, but the Italian was able to break in the opening game when Auger-Aliassime pushed a backhand wide.
Everything was clicking for Musetti early, even whipping out a successful tweener, but Auger-Aliassime started to pick up his level as the set went along. At 4-3, the Canadian used his heavy forehand to set up a break point and Musetti failed on a serve-and-volley to put the set back on serve.
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But it was a short-lived comeback as Auger-Aliassime fell down love-40 in the very next game and, despite saving the first two break points, put a forehand into the net to immediately had the break back. Musetti promptly served out the set to love.
One rally early in the second set seemed to flip the momentum. At 1-0, 30-all on Musetti’s serve, Auger-Aliassime outlasted the Italian in a titantic rally, eventually putting away a volley to set up a break point. He then launched a deep return that drew an error for a 2-0 lead.
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Suddenly, it was the Canadian in the ascendancy. He had all the answers, including an ace on the lone break point he faced in the following game, and even fired a backhand winner down the line at 4-1 to make it a double break, which was plenty to send the bronze-medal match to a deciding set.
Musetti’s level had dropped a bit in the second, but he bounced back early in the decider. Auger-Aliassime found himself under pressure on serve and, despite an impressive display of power tennis to escape two break points in the fourth game, he fired a forehand into the net on break point at 3-4 to set up the Italian to serve out the win.
Auger-Aliassime now heads home to play in his hometown National Bank Open in Montreal.
