I love my Benoit Paire -- but I must say I was bummed that Felix Auger-Aliassime wasn't able to beat him in the Lyon final Saturday. It was the Frenchman’s second title in recent weeks, while the 18-year-old Canadian is still searching for his first, falling 6-4, 6-3 after sustaining an injury in the second set.
Sadly, Felix had to withdraw from the French Open. He's now the first man to ever be ranked in the Top 25 without ever having won a match in a Grand Slam singles draw. (Yikes.)
Meanwhile, didn't get the result I was hoping for in Geneva, either. Alexander Zverev clinched his first ATP Tour title this season by winning his third consecutive three-setter, saving two match points against Nicolas Jarry to prevail 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(8). Zverev only entered the tournament after a dismal clay-court season, so was clearly lucky to sneak this below-his-level title out. Zverev must be the only man to have ever been ranked in the Top 3 having barely reached one Slam quarterfinal. (And I think he hit No. 3 before that even happened, no?)
And the women annoyed me, too. Ukrainian teenager Dayana Yastremska beat Caroline Garcia 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (3) to win the Strasbourg crown on Saturday in the longest final of the WTA season.
Yastremska wasted two match points in the second set and saved one in the third before closing out the encounter in 2 hours, 58 minutes.
It's the third title in eight months for the 19-year-old Yastremska, who also won in Hong Kong and Thailand, and the first of her career on clay. (Of course I see she already lost in the first round in Paris.)
And finally, top seed Yulia Putintseva rallied from a set down to win her first WTA singles title at the Nürnberger Versicherungscup. The Kazakh defeated unseeded Slovenian Tamara Zidansek, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 to hoist her first trophy in her third appearance in a WTA final.
Around the net ...
Jan-Michael Gambill's boyfriend (or ex?) took the new Tennis Channel personality out for an early 42nd bday celebration ... happy birthday, JMG!
And Diego Schwartzman took a nice ice bath after eking out a five-set win over fellow heartthrob Marton Fucsovics in the first round of Roland Garros.
Any predictions for the men's and women's singles?
(With wire services)
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