Skip to content

Thiem eases past Cilic, Auger-Aliassime tripped up at French Open

Julian Finney / Getty Images Sport / Getty

US Open champion Dominic Thiem advanced to the second round of the French Open on Monday courtesy of an impressive 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 over former World No. 3 Marin Cilic.

Under the roof at Court Philippe Chatrier on a rainy day at Roland Garros, Thiem broke Cilic at 4-4 in the first set before battling back from 0-40 down to seal the opening frame.

Thiem's robust single-handed backhand dominated the second stanza, then the Austrian 27-year-old overcame a 0-2 deficit in the third set to reel off five games on the spin.

No. 3 seed Thiem, who has lost the last two French Open finals to Rafael Nadal, will now face American qualifier Jack Sock in the second round.

Elsewhere in the men's draw, Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime's dissappointing clay court season continues.

The Montreal-born 19-seed lost 7-5, 6-3, 6-3 to unseeded Yoshihito Nishioka, extending an underwhelming post-US Open run that's seen Auger-Aliassime pair one victory with three defeats on clay.

Auger-Aliassime had 58 unforced errors to Nishioka's 34, and is now 0-2 against the Japanese 25-year-old after losing a third-set tiebreaker at Indian Wells last year.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox