Félix Auger-Aliassime claimed a second-round victory at the Shanghai Masters over Camilo Ugo Carabelli, winning 4-6, 7-6, 7-5. The fourth-seeded Canadian had to fight back from a set down on hard court, but turned the match around with a commanding tiebreak in the second set before edging a fiercely contested finale.
Carabelli seized his opportunity in the first set
Camilo Ugo Carabelli came out with plenty of ambition against the higher-ranked Félix Auger-Aliassime. The Argentine broke the Canadian's serve in the seventh game and defended his advantage from there. Auger-Aliassime struggled to find an answer to his opponent's focused return game, while Carabelli remained solid from the baseline and closed out the opening set 6-4.
For the Argentine, the match was another demanding outing in Shanghai. In the first round, Camilo Ugo Carabelli had recovered from a set down to beat qualifier Ilia Simakin 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 — a win that ended a run of seven straight defeats on the ATP Tour. Against Auger-Aliassime, he once again showed tremendous fighting spirit and put the seeded favourite under pressure from the outset.
Auger-Aliassime forces a decider
In the second set, Félix Auger-Aliassime ramped up the pressure on return and took greater control of the longer rallies. Carabelli refused to give ground, pushing the set to a tiebreak. There, the Canadian took charge decisively to win it 7-6 and level the match, setting up a deciding set.
The tiebreak was the pivotal moment for Auger-Aliassime. On his own serve he was more clinical, giving Carabelli little room to attack. His first serve won him 84 percent of points across the match, and he fired 14 aces — numbers that illustrated just how much he had settled after a difficult start.
Decision delayed until the final stages
The third set remained tight throughout. Both players held serve with great intensity in what became a physically and mentally gruelling contest. Auger-Aliassime made 57 unforced errors, but his 42 winners ensured he applied the greater pressure when it mattered most.
In the closing stages the Canadian edged ahead and took the deciding set 7-5. Camilo Ugo Carabelli battled to the end but could not recover from losing the tiebreak, as Auger-Aliassime drew on his experience in the tight moments to see the match out.
First competitive outing under Ivan Ljubicic
The match was also Félix Auger-Aliassime's first competitive appearance under new coach Ivan Ljubicic. The Canadian had been in poor form heading into the tournament, having lost to Karen Khachanov in Beijing. The win in Shanghai therefore carried extra significance beyond a place in the round of 16: Auger-Aliassime showed the right response after a difficult opening and demonstrated greater resilience when it counted in the deciding set.
Camilo Ugo Carabelli exits the tournament with his head held high after a strong performance. Félix Auger-Aliassime, meanwhile, came through a tight contest in which he won 54 percent of total points and held serve in 88 percent of his service games.
