Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Canadians Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov made a winning start at the Mutua Madrid Open Friday when they defeated last year’s finalists Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah 7-6(5), 7-6(2) to reach the second round.
Auger-Aliassime and Shapovalov, who reached the quarter-finals together in Miami earlier this season, remained patient throughout the one-hour, 53-minute clash. The Canadians squandered all 10 break points they earned but raised their level in both tie-breaks to advance. They will next meet sixth seeds Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara.
Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe triumphed in the Top-20 singles battle on Friday when they clawed past Cameron Norrie and Tommy Paul 4-6, 6-4, 10-8 to reach the second round.
In a highly-anticipated doubles clash, it was the Americans Fritz and Tiafoe who held their nerve. The pair won 85 per cent (28/33) of their first-service points and rallied from 6/7 in the Match Tie-break to advance after 85 minutes at the ATP Masters 1000 event.
Teaming for the first time this week, Fritz and Tiafoe will next face Greek wild cards Petros Tsitsipas and Stefanos Tsitsipas or fourth seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer.
The 2021 finalists Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic also advanced, defeating Sebastian Baez and Australian Open doubles champion Jason Kubler 6-3, 5-7, 10-6.
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