Auger-Aliassime

Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime is heading to the round of 16 at the Australian Open for the second year in a row.

The No. 9 seed, from Montreal, beat No. 24 seed Daniel Evans of Great Britain 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 in the third round of the season-opening Grand Slam on Saturday.

Felix flies into the fourth round

@felixtennis cracks 40 winners to just 21 errors in easing past Dan Evans 6-4 6-1 6-1.#AusOpen · #AO2022 pic.twitter.com/4YUk9fQ523

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 22, 2022

Auger-Aliassime lost to eventual champion Novak Djokovic in last year’s fourth round — his best result at the tournament. Djokovic isn’t playing this year after he was booted out of the country for vaccine rules before the tournament.

The win against Evans was Auger-Aliassime’s first of the tournament that did not go to at least four sets.

Auger-Aliassime won 91 per cent of points when he got his first serve in against Evans and had a big edge in winners (40-10) and aces (16-1).

The Canadian will face the winner of a match between No. 5 seed Andrey Rublev of Russia and No. 27 seed Marin Cilic of Croatia in the next round.

Meanwhile, No. 14 seed Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., faces No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev of Germany in a fourth-round match on Satuday.