Canadian tennis star Félix Auger-Aliassime kicked off his clay-court season Wednesday with a 7-6 (4), 6-3 win over Croatia’s Marin Cilic in the second round of the Monte-Carlo Masters.
Auger-Aliassime, seeded sixth at the event, took control of the second set with a huge break to go up 3-1 when Cilic double-faulted on break point. Later, Auger-Aliassime saved a break point with an ace before holding to take a 5-2 lead.
He wrapped up the win after a brief rally on match point ended when Cilic hit long.
The 25-year-old from Montreal, who had a bye in the first round, improved his record this season to 16-6. He won his ninth career title in February at Montpelier, France.
Auger-Aliassime will next face ninth seed Casper Ruud of Norway.
The Canadian holds a 4-3 career record against Ruud after defeating him in their last three meetings, all in 2024. That run included wins on clay at the Madrid Masters and the Paris Olympics.