Felix Auger-Aliassime conquered the ATP 250 event in Brussels. The Canadian defeated Jiri Lehecka 7-6, 6-7, 6-2 in two hours and 34 minutes for his eighth ATP title and seven on an indoor court.
Felix missed two match points in the second set before dominating a decider, becoming the fifth player of the season with three ATP titles and earning valuable points in the ATP Race to Turin.
The former world no. 6 claimed 18 points more than his rival. They fired 91 service winners, and the Canadian built the advantage in them (48-43) and from the baseline.
Auger-Aliassime landed 34 winners and32 unforced errors. Lehecka stayed on a26-36 ratio, fighting hard for two sets before losing ground in the decider. The better-ranked player had the upper hand in the shortest rallies up to four strokes, earning the win in that segment.
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The Czech made a strong start and provided six comfortable holds in the opener. The Canadian had to dig deep in the fifth game, denying three break points and remaining on the positive side.
The set went into a tie break, and Felix grabbed two early mini-breaks for a 3-0 lead. He seized the first set point at 6-2 with a powerful serve, bringing the first part of the duel home in 55 minutes.
Auger-Aliassime served well in the second set and pressured his rival. Jiri denied three break points in games three and seven and stayed in touch. They arranged another tie break, and the better-ranked player earned two match points at 6-4.
Lehecka saved them and rattled off four points, welcoming the rival's forehand error and introducing a decider after two hours. Auger-Aliassime left those chances behind and served well in the final part of the encounter.
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He passed his opponent at the net in the fourth game and moved 3-1 in front. Felix landed an ace in the seventh game for a 5-2 lead and made another push on the return in the next one.
The Canadian grabbed another break with a sharp return, sealing the deal and celebrating his eighth ATP title.
