Montreal’s Felix Auger-Aliassime marked his comeback on the court with a successful 6-3, 7-5 victory against Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round of the Cincinnati Open on Sunday. Despite being the second seed at the Masters-level tournament, Auger-Aliassime encountered challenges in the windy conditions during the second set, leading to a missed opportunity to serve out the match at 5-4. However, the 26-year-old managed to break back in the following game and secured the win with a decisive seventh ace on match point.
Reflecting on the match, Auger-Aliassime commented on the adverse weather conditions, stating that the wind impeded his serve power, making the ending of the match tricky. Nevertheless, he expressed satisfaction with his performance after a 40-day break from competitive play, particularly highlighting his health struggles in recent weeks. Auger-Aliassime acknowledged the importance of bouncing back to secure the victory under challenging circumstances.
This win against Tsitsipas marked only the fourth victory for Auger-Aliassime in their 11 encounters. Following his withdrawal from the National Bank Open due to a back injury, Auger-Aliassime is set to face Juan Cerundolo of Argentina in the next round. Cerundolo, with a 1-2 record against Auger-Aliassime, caused an upset by defeating 25th seed Arthur Rinderknech of France with a scoreline of 4-6, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5) on Sunday. In the women’s event later in the day, 30th seed Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Quebec, competed against China’s Wang Xiyu.
