Montreal’s Felix Auger-Aliassime marked his comeback to the court with a victorious 6-3, 7-5 triumph against Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round of the Cincinnati Open on Sunday. Despite being the second seed at the prestigious event, Auger-Aliassime faced challenges dealing with the wind during the match. He missed the opportunity to close out the game when leading 5-4 but managed to break back in the following game, ultimately sealing the victory with his seventh ace on match point.
Reflecting on the match, Auger-Aliassime mentioned the adverse windy conditions that affected his serve and acknowledged the difficulty he faced towards the end. Having not played in 40 days since Wimbledon and battling health issues in recent weeks, he expressed his satisfaction with the win and his return to competitive tennis.
Auger-Aliassime, who has historically struggled against Tsitsipas, secured only his fourth win in their 11 encounters. Up next, he will confront Juan Cerundolo of Argentina, who caused an upset by defeating 25th seed Arthur Rinderknech of France in a tightly contested match.
In the women’s segment, Chinese qualifier Xiyu Wang overcame the 30th-seeded Leylah Fernandez from Laval, Que., in a hard-fought encounter lasting two hours and two minutes. Wang, a 25-year-old player ranked 49th in the world in 2023, started slowly but gained momentum in the latter sets to clinch the victory. Fernandez, who had a notable performance at the National Bank Open in Toronto, struggled with her game, resulting in a defeat characterized by a high number of unforced errors.
Wang’s solid performance, marked by her aggressive play and consistent service, proved decisive in overcoming Fernandez, who failed to capitalize on her opportunities during the match.