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Match Details
Fixture: (8) Diego Schwartzman vs Felix Auger-Aliassime
Date: 11 May 2021
Tournament: Internazionali BNL d'italia 2021
Round: Second round (Round of 32)
Venue: Rome, Italy
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: €2,082,960
Match timing: Approx. 4 pm local time, 7.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Diego Schwartzman vs Felix Auger-Aliassime Preview
Two solid baseliners will go up against each other when Next Gen star Felix Auger-Aliassime takes on World No. 9 Diego Schwartzman in the second round of the 2021 Italian Open.
Auger-Aliassime has had a somewhat disappointing start to his 2021 campaign. In February he suffered a seventh consecutive loss in an ATP final, going down to Dan Evans at the Murray River Open. The Canadian's fortunes haven't improved much since then, and he had accumulated an 8-7 win-loss record before arriving in Rome.
But Auger-Aliassime had a great start to his campaign at the Foro Italico on Sunday. He defeated Serbia's Filip Krajinovic in three tight sets to reach the second round, where he will face Diego Schwartzman.
Schwartzman has also had an underwhelming start to his clay season, losing three of his five matches on the dirt so far. Nevertheless, the Argentine will fancy his chances of returning to form at the Foro Italico this week, given his inspired run at the tournament last year.
Schwartzman beat Rafael Nadal in the 2020 Rome quarterfinals and then outlasted Denis Shapovalov in a marathon semifinal. Although he eventually fell short against Novak Djokovic in the title match, the 28-year-old looked like a transformed player by the end of that week.
Schwartzman also reached the semifinals at Roland Garros last year, where he put up a brave fight against Nadal.
Diego Schwartzman vs Felix Auger-Aliassime head-to-head
Diego Schwartzman leads Felix Auger-Aliassime 1-0 in their head-to-head rivalry. Their only encounter came in the semifinals of the 2020 Bett1Hulks Championship, where the diminutive Argentinian beat Auger-Aliassime in three sets.
Diego Schwartzman vs Felix Auger-Aliassime prediction
Felix Auger-Aliassime boasts great technical attributes - a powerful serve, an authoritative forehand and a strong defensive backhand. The Canadian is also adept at changing the direction and pace of rallies. However, he does have a tendency to leak unforced errors from his forehand side.
Diego Schwartzman, on the other hand, hits his groundstrokes with impressive weight considering his small frame. The Argentine also has one of the best backhands in the world, which is particularly effective on clay.
But while Schwartzman has sound groundstrokes, his serve is a huge weakness. The 28-year-old struggles to hold even against mediocre returners, and always seems to be fighting an uphill battle in every match.
Schwartzman's baseline solidity and foot speed should help him stay with Auger-Aliassime in this match. But if the 20-year-old can pull his opponent off the court with his big forehand, he might be able to spring an upset.
Prediction: Felix Auger-Aliassime to win in three sets.
