Is Félix Auger-Aliassime getting hot? It’s been said before—and it's typically followed by a head-scratching loss—but the Canadian has looked rock-solid in Cincinnati. After falling down 2-4 in the first set against Marton Fucsovics, FAA began to dominate, ultimately winning, 7-6 (0), 6-3.
That scoreline might not seem overwhelming, but Auger-Aliassime generated 18 break point opportunities for himself, and earned another 13 in his Tuesday win over a very in-form Karen Khachanov.
A rematch against Matteo Berrettini awaits in the third round, and according to the oddsmakers, the Wimbledon finalist is a -174 favorite and projected to win by two total games. Berrettini survived a tough three-setter against Albert Ramos-Vinolas on Tuesday, slowly but surely finding his dominant brand of tennis as the match evolved.
But Berrettini did not play particularly well. Understandably, he was a bit rusty, but he resorted to his slice a little too early and a little too often. His slice is polished and effective, but Auger-Aliassime will enjoy the extra time he’ll get to run around and find his forehand.