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Day 7 Under the lights: Felix 'making progress'

Auger-Aliassime vs Nakashima - 3000x2000
©FFT
 - Alix Ramsay

On Thursday afternoon, the Roland-Garros world tilted on its axis. Jannik Sinner had been beaten. The nailed-on favourite for the title was out. But as the press room went into a frenzy and the social media platforms went into overdrive, a cool, calm and collected voice put it all into perspective.

“Everyone thought he'd win this year's Roland-Garros,” Felix Auger-Aliassime said. “It's not going to be him. I guess that's the beauty of sports.”

The Canadian is the highest seed, at No.4, left in the top half of the draw, a draw that looks completely open following all the shocks of the first week. But Auger-Aliassime does not see it that way; he is simply focused on the task immediately in front of him. And that would be Brandon Nakashima, the No.31 seed from the USA.

“It's not going to change anything for me,” he went on. “I still need to win the next rounds. I wasn't supposed to play him before the semis, in any case, and then, if I reach the semis and I don't play against Sinner and I play against someone else, of course on paper that's better for me, and I don't have to feel sorry about that.

“Obviously playing against anyone but Sinner is better. However, the road ahead is still very long for me.”

Which brings us back to Nakashima. The 24-year-old from San Diego is a big, strong man who gives the ball an almighty wallop. He also never goes away; he keeps on getting the ball back and making his opponent sweat. He is solid, his game is solid and his career has been solid (one title and three finals so far). There is little spectacular about him but, then again, there is no glaring weakness to be exploited.

Auger-Aliassime, then, will have to dig in for battle on Sunday. He may feel that luck is on his side this year after he escaped a first round upset against Daniel Altmaier, coming through in a fifth set tiebreak, but he is going to need every shred of experience and skill to keep Nakashima at arm’s length. While he feels that his game has been coming together in the first couple of rounds, there is still much work to be done.

“I wish perhaps there was more consistency in my game,” Auger-Aliassime said. “I'm trying to be as precise and accurate as possible, but I think I can be happy with the way that I have made progress.

Today [the second round] it was fine, and now I can push further in the tournament. But, yes, I have definitely made progress in my game.”

So, Felix is getting better and Brandon is, as ever, ready for the long haul. Bring sandwiches for this one; you may be here for some time.