SYDNEY, Australia — Montreal’s Felix Auger-Aliassime fell to Dusan Lajovic 6-4, 6-2 on Friday in the first match of Canada’s quarterfinal against Serbia at the ATP Cup.
Lajovic put Serbia in an excellent position to advance to the event’s final.
Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., faces Novak Djokovic, the No. 2 ranked player in the world, in the quarterfinal’s second match.
Aside from a brief 2-1 lead in the second set, Auger-Aliassime struggled throughout the match, especially with shot placement.
Auger-Aliassime’s return was just past the baseline for the match point, with Lajovic pumping his fist as the ball landed out of bounds.
Belgium takes on Spain in Friday’s other quarterfinal.
Host Australia advanced with a 2-1 win over Britain and Russia routed Argentina 3-0 in Thursday’s quarterfinals.
The semifinals are set for Saturday and the final on Sunday.
