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Fixture: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs (8) Felix Auger-Aliassime
Date: 10 May 2022
Tournament: Italian Open
Round: Second round (Round of 32)
Venue: Rome, Italy
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Clay
Prize money: €6,008,725
Match timing: Not before 2.50 p.m. local time, 12.50 p.m. GMT, 6:20 p.m. IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Sports18 & Voot
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Felix Auger-Aliassime preview
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina will square off against eighth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the second round of the Italian Open on Tuesday. With both players in good form, this promises to be an intense battle.
Davidovich Fokina has made an excellent start to the claycourt season. His best run came at the Monte-Carlo Masters, where he beat Novak Djokovic en route to the final before losing out to Stefanos Tsitsipas.
The Spaniard made it to the quarterfinals of the Estoril Open in Portugal before being knocked out by Frances Tiafoe in three tight sets. The 22-year-old then moved on to the Madrid Masters, where he ousted Lloyd harris to reach the second round. However, he lost in another hard-fought three-setter, this time at the hands of Hubert Hurkacz.
Davidovich Fokina beat Ilya Ivashka 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 in the first round of the Italian Open on Monday.
Felix Auger-Aliassime had a disappointing start to his claycourt season, bowing out in the Round of 32 stage at the Monte-Carlo masters. Since then, he has looked more promising, making the quarterfinals at three successive events in Barcelona, Estoril and Madrid.
The World No. 9 looked particularly impressive in Madrid last week, with dominant wins over Cristian Garin and Jannik Sinner before falling to Alexander Zverev.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Felix Auger-Aliassime head-to-head
The pair have met once before, with Auger-Aliassime leading the head-to-head 1-0. The Canadian beat Davidovich Fokina 7-6(4), 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 7-6(4) in a bruising encounter at the Australian Open earlier this year.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Felix Auger-Aliassime odds
(All odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Felix Auger-Aliassime prediction
Both players head into the match in good form, although Auger-Aliassime will be the slight favorite given his superior ranking. Davidovich Fokina and Auger-Aliassime were both knocked out in the Round of 16 in Rome last year.
Auger-Aliassime served brilliantly all week in Madrid but faltered a little when it mattered most against Zverev in the quarterfinals. The Canadian managed a first serve percentage of only 59 against the World No. 3 and will look to get back on track against his Spanish opponent.
Auger-Aliassime has the all-round game to trouble any opponent. Davidovich Fokina, however, will not sit back against the Canadian. The Spaniard is at his best when he is aggressive and will look to use his powerful groundstrokes to put Auger-Aliassime under pressure.
The Spaniard is also an excellent mover around the court and will fancy his chances during the longer rallies.
Davidovich Fokina will represent a tough challenge, but if Auger-Aliassime can serve well, he should be able to see off his fiesty Spanish opponent.
Pick: Auger-Aliassime to win in 3 sets.
