Auger-Aliassime begins title defence with win at Rotterdam Open
Fellow Canadian Rebecca Marino knocked out of Qatar Open in 1st round
Felix Auger-Aliassime's title defence at the Rotterdam Open got off to a fast start Tuesday.
The Montreal native needed just one hour 22 minutes to oust Italy's Lorenzo Sonego 6-2, 6-3 in the first round.
Auger-Aliassime fired 13 aces and 21 winners, including an 86 per cent rate on first-serve points.
The 22-year-old also went 3-for-3 on break point opportunities as he set up a second-round clash with France's Gregoire Barrere.
Auger-Aliassime claimed his first career title at the 2022 Rotterdam Open.
It was the first of four tournaments he went on to win last season, claiming the Firenze, European and Swiss Indoors Opens consecutively later in the year.
WATCH | Auger-Aliassime opens title defence with convincing victory:
Marino ousted in Qatar
Meanwhile, Canada's Rebecca Marino fell 7-6 (5), 6-2 to Russia's Daria Kasatkina in the opening round of the Qatar Open on Tuesday.
The Vancouver native had one ace to four double faults and only won 46.2 per cent of first-serve points. However, Marino went 4-for-8 on break point opportunities.
Kasatkina didn't record a single ace and had six doubles faults of her own. She won 59.3 per cent of first-serve points and broke on six of her 15 chances across the one hour 41-minute match.
Marino made it into the main draw after three consecutive wins in qualifying.
The 32-year-old defeated Ukraine's Katarina Zavatska, Belarus's Aliaksandra Sasnovich and the Czech Republic's Marie Bouzkova between Saturday and Monday.
Marino was the last Canadian remaining as Laval, Que., native Leylah Fernandez was ousted in the final qualifying round on Monday by Czechia's Karolina Pliskova.
WATCH | Marino falls to Kasatkina:
