US Open ATP Match of the Day: Andy Murray vs. Felix Auger-Aliassime

The word “epic” is one of the most overused and exhausted ways to describe a sporting event, but that’s exactly what Andy Murray’s come-from-behind, five-set thriller over Yoshihito Nishioka was. Now, the 33-year-old, who has yet to make it past the second round of a Grand Slam since injuring his hip in 2017, must recover from a nearly five-hour affair to take on one of the game’s brightest young stars in Felix Auger-Aliassime.

The oddsmakers, perhaps suspicious of Murray’s recovery ability, have pegged the Canadian as the favorite. But should he be? We’ll find out come Thursday, but Auger-Aliassime’s form against the hard-court averse Thiago Monteiro was nothing to write home about. Monteiro owns a career hard-court record of 6-25, yet the 20-year-old FAA was lucky to advance, surviving 6-3, 6-7 (9), 7-6 (6), 7-6 (6). Even if Murray is a step slow, Auger-Aliassime will have to earn each and every point.

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“I’m going to prepare myself for a battle,” Auger-Aliassime said about the match. "We’re all glad to see him back. I watched the whole way of his recovery. It’s an honor for me to face a guy like Andy."

Auger-Aliassime will test Murray’s movement in a different capacity than the counterpunching Nishioka. If Murray starts slow, he likely won’t be able to maneuver his way back into the match, not against this level of ball-striker, My heart says Murray, but my head says the fresher, fitter, younger player will advance to the third round. After Tuesday’s marathon, one has to wonder how much Murray has left in the tank.

The Pick: Felix Auger-Aliassime