The in-form Felix Auger-Aliassime will square off against a determined Taylor Fritz in their final group-stage encounter on Thursday.
Felix Auger-Aliassime
With one loss and one win in his first couple of matches, Felix Auger-Aliassime will have to secure a victory in his match against Taylor Fritz to progress to the semis. The equation is the same for Fritz as well. Therefore, this match is a virtual quarterfinal with a lot to play for both athletes.
In the opening encounter in Turin, the Canadian youngster was bettered by Casper Ruud in straight sets 7-6 (7-4), 6-4. Felix was exceptional with his serves and sent across as many as 14 aces. However, Ruud prevailed in the crucial moments to win the match. In a must-win clash against Rafael Nadal, Auger-Aliassime managed to outplay the legend with some technical and tactical masterclass. Once again, the 22-year-old’s serve proved to be a great weapon as he produced aces just when it mattered. The match eventually ended 6-3, 6-4 in favor of Auger-Aliassime who wasn’t broken even once.
Taylor Fritz
The American youngster has also won one match while having lost another. Like his upcoming opponent, Fritz has also used his serves to good effect.
He began his campaign with a solid 7-6 (7-3), 6-1 win against the top-seeded Nadal. Fritz weathered the initial storm from Nadal in the first set and went on to take the second set comprehensively as the 22-time Grand Slam champion looked quite rusty. In his second group-stage encounter, Fritz faced Casper Ruud. The Norwegian won the first set but Fritz bounced back strongly to claim the second set. In the end, Ruud bagged a closely-contested third set to book his ticket to the semifinals. The match ended 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (8-6) in favor of the 23-year-old.
Head-to-Head and Prediction
The head-to-head scoreline currently stands at 1-0 in favor of Felix Auger-Aliassime. He defeated Fritz in three sets at the 2022 ATP Cup.
Prediction: Felix-Auger Aliassime to win in three sets.
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