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Match Details
Fixture: (2) Carlos Alcaraz vs (31) Felix Auger-Aliassime
Date: March 10, 2024
Tournament: BNP Paribas Open
Round: Third Round (Round of 32)
Venue: Indian Wells Tennis Garden, California, US
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize Money: $8,995,555
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel/TC Plus | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN
Carlos Alcaraz vs Felix Auger-Aliassime preview
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz will lock horns with Felix Auger-Aliassime in the third round of the 2024 BNP Paribas Open on Sunday (March 10).
After a first-round bye, Alcaraz commenced his title defense against Matteo Arnaldi in the second round. The Spaniard landed the first blow in the opening set to go 4-3 up, but his opponent broke back immediately to level the score.
Alcaraz then saved a set point at 6-5 to force a tie-break but came up short in it as the set slipped out of his grasp. He turned the match around in style as he dropped just one more game after losing the first set to notch up a 6-7, 6-0, 6-1 comeback win.
Auger-Aliassime, meanwhile, received a bye into the second round as well, where he was up against Constant Lestienne. The Canadian broke his opponent's serve at the start of the first set and maintained the headstart to claim it as well. The second set was quite one-sided as he lost just one game in it for a 6-4, 6-1 win.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Felix Auger-Aliassime head-to-head
Auger-Aliassime leads Alcaraz 3-1 in the head-to-head. The Spaniard won their most recent encounter at last year's BNP Paribas Open in straight sets.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Felix Auger-Aliassime odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Carlos Alcaraz vs Felix Auger-Aliassime prediction
Even though he lost the first set against Arnaldi, Alcaraz's level in it was quite high. He turned up the heat after that to stage a quick turnaround. The ankle injury which forced him to abandon his Rio Open campaign a couple of weeks ago didn't bother him in the slightest.
Alcaraz covered the court just like he used to and served even better than before. He won 86% of points on the back of his first serve.
Auger-Aliassime scored a routine win over Lestienne, which was the need of the hour for him after two consecutive defeats.
Auger-Aliassime has the upper hand in his rivalry against Alcaraz. However, the Canadian who went toe-to-toe with his younger nemesis has been missing for quite some time.
Auger-Aliassime has dealt with recurring injuries and poor form since the start of last year. As such, his ranking has taken quite the hit. His win-loss record in 2023 stood at 22-19, while he has notched up a 7-6 record this season.
Two of Auger-Aliassime's wins in this match-up have come on indoor hardcourts, while his other victory was courtesy of Alcaraz's retirement. The latter snapped his losing skid en route to his title-winning run here last year.
The conditions at Indian Wells favor Alcaraz a bit more, while Auger-Aliassime tends to shine more when he gets to play indoors. The Spaniard will be expected to continue with his title defense here.
Pick: Carlos Alcaraz to win in straight sets.
