Felix, Tsonga Advance In Miami Qualifying

#NextGenATP Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime is one win away from making his debut at the Miami Open presented by Itau. The 18-year-old overcame a sluggish start on Monday to beat Italian Luca Vanni 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.

Auger-Aliassime, who fell in the first round of qualifying last year to American Mackenzie McDonald, will play 37-year-old Paolo Lorenzi of Italy for a place in the main draw.

The Canadian earned his first Top 10 win last week at the BNP Paribas Open against Greece’s #NextGenATP star Stefanos Tsitsipas en route to the third round at the season’s first ATP Masters 1000 event.

McDonald and another seeded American, Reilly Opelka, also advanced. McDonald dismissed Peter Polansky of Canada 7-6(4), 7-5, and Opelka, the third seed, squeaked past Switzerland’s Henri Laaksonen 7-6(7), 7-6(3). McDonald will meet 18^th seed Lorenzo Sonego of Italy, and Opelka will face Spain’s Marcel Granollers.

Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, on the comeback from knee surgery last April, beat big-serving Czech Lukas Rosol 6-3, 6-4. Tsonga, No. 118 in the ATP Rankings, will next meet six-time ATP Tour titlist Pablo Cuevas. Top seed and Delray Beach champion Radu Albot also advanced, beating Italian Gianluigi Quinzi, who competed in the 2017 Next Gen ATP Finals, 7-6(5), 6-0, and will meet American Mitchell Krueger in the second round.