Montreal’s Felix Auger-Aliassime marked his successful comeback to the court by defeating Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-5 in the second round at the Cincinnati Open. Despite facing challenges with the wind in the second set, Auger-Aliassime, the tournament’s second seed, managed to secure the victory after a brief setback when serving for the match at 5-4.
Reflecting on the match, the 26-year-old Auger-Aliassime acknowledged the difficult conditions caused by the wind, impacting his serve. However, he capitalized on the opportunity to break back in the following game and clinched the win with his seventh ace on match point. Auger-Aliassime expressed relief at overcoming the obstacles, especially considering his health struggles in the past weeks since Wimbledon.
Having historically faced difficulties against Tsitsipas, Auger-Aliassime celebrated his fourth victory in 11 encounters with the Greek player. His next challenge will be against Juan Cerundolo of Argentina, whom he holds a 1-2 record against. Cerundolo advanced by upsetting 25th seed Arthur Rinderknech of France in a hard-fought match on Sunday.
In the women’s event, Chinese qualifier Xiyu Wang triumphed over 30th-seeded Leylah Fernandez from Laval, Quebec, in a two-hour battle, winning 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. Wang, a 25-year-old player who previously ranked 49th globally, showcased a strong performance after a slow start against Fernandez. Fernandez, who reached the round of 16 at the National Bank Open in Toronto, struggled with her game, facing challenges in both her serve and return games against Wang.