In front of a full house of their hometown fans on Court 1, reigning U.S. Open junior doubles champions Félix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov made their Rogers Cup début, putting up a valiant effort before falling 6-4, 6-3 to the far-more-experienced pairing of Bernard Tomic and Viktor Troicki.

Break in Game Five Proves Decisive for Tomic/Troicki

After the first four games of the contest went with serve, with Tomic and Troicki having a considerably easier time holding than the Canadians, it came as no surprise that the Australian-Serbian pairing were the first to make a major breakthrough from the receiving end, doing so in the fifth game as Auger-Aliassime missed a stretch volley to take a 3-2 lead.

Viktor Troicki and Bernard Tomic high-five after winning a point during their first round doubles match against Félix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov at the 2016 Rogers Cup. | Photo: Max Gao
Viktor Troicki and Bernard Tomic high-five after winning a point during their first round doubles match against Félix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov at the 2016 Rogers Cup. | Photo: Max Gao

From there, the remainder of the opening set would go with serve, with the Canadians managing to hold their own against the onslaughts of their tactically-astute opponents, though they were unable to make much of a breakthrough in their return games, which Tomic and Troicki so often dominated. Coolly and calmly under pressure, the Australian-Serbian pairing was flawless in serving out the opening set, doing so at love to win it by six games to four.

Two Breaks Seal Victory for Australian-Serbian Pairing

In an unfortunate case of déjà-vu for the Canadians early in the second set, it was Tomic and Troicki who were able to make the most of their opportunities, winning four points in a row from 30-0 down to break in the fifth game and put themselves a set and 3-2 to the good. From there, the Australian-Serbian pairing showed little signs of relinquishing any control, if any, consolidating the break with relative ease.

Up against it, the reigning U.S. Open junior doubles champions remained proactive, while utilizing the prowess that has attributed to their exponential rise in the last twelve months, holding to stay in touch with Tomic and Troicki. In the following game, the Canadians put up an inspired fightback to go from 40-15 down to deuce, only to have any hopes of earning the elusive break washed away by Tomic and Troicki; the pair, playing in only their fourth tournament together, serving their way out of trouble once more to go within a game of victory.

Denis Shapovalov and Félix Auger-Aliassime in first round doubles action against Bernard Tomic and Viktor Troicki at the 2016 Rogers Cup. | Photo: Max Gao
Denis Shapovalov and Félix Auger-Aliassime in first round doubles action against Bernard Tomic and Viktor Troicki at the 2016 Rogers Cup. | Photo: Max Gao

A similar script would follow in the ninth, and ultimately final, game. Down 30-40 and staring down a pair of match points, Auger-Aliassime and Shapovalov were able to save the first of those opportunities, but not the second as Shapovalov netted a forehand volley, sealing a comprehensive 6-4, 6-3 victory for Tomic and Troicki, a match that the score line really doesn’t do justice to its exceptional quality.

Tomic/Troicki to Meet Murray/Soares Thursday

Awaiting the unseeded Australian-Serbian pairing in the round of 16 are second seeds Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares, who benefited from a bye in the first round to adapt the comparatively faster hard courts of the Aviva Centre.

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About the author
Max Gao
Max Gao is a sports writer specializing in tennis and the Toronto Blue Jays, who has also written on the Rogers Cup website as a guest contributor in the past.