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Match details
Fixture: Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Marin Cilic
Date: 2 November 2020
Tournament: Rolex Paris Masters 2020
Round: First round (Round of 64)
Venue: Paris, France
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Indoor Hardcourt
Prize money: €3,901,015
Match timing: Approx. 5 pm local time, 9.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - ESPN / Tennis Channel | India - Sony Six / Sony Liv
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Marin Cilic preview
Young Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime will face Croatian veteran Marin Cilic in the opening round of the 2020 Rolex Paris Masters.
Despite recording his career best Grand Slam result at the US Open two months ago, Auger-Aliassime has had a difficult year. The 20-year-old's search for a maiden ATP title still continues, even though he has reached three finals in 2020.
Auger-Aliassime is 0-6 in finals on the ATP tour, and has registered only one win in three Masters level matches this year.
The Canadian lost his opening match in Vienna last week to compatriot Vasek Pospisil, but had a decent run in the ATP Cologne double-header prior to that. Auger-Aliassime reached the final in Cologne 1 and lost in the semifinals of Cologne 2 to Diego Schwartzman.
Marin Cilic meanwhile has been struggling to play his best tennis for a while now. Things just don't seem to be going Cilic's way right now; he has had a dismal year so far, with a 13-10 win-loss record.
The former US Open champion has managed only one win in the indoor hard-court season, which came in a hard-fought opening round match at Cologne 1.
Cilic has previously reached quarterfinals or better at the Paris Masters on four different occasions. But it will take a huge turnaround in his form and fortunes to match those results this year.
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Marin Cilic head-to-head
The head-to-head between Felix Auger-Aliassime and Marin Cilic currently stands at 1-0 in favor of Cilic.
The Croat won their solitary meeting, which was in 2019 at Washington, in straight sets.
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Marin Cilic prediction
Although Marin Cilic has won the only clash so far in the rivalry, Felix Auger-Aliassime should start as the overwhelming favorite in their upcoming match at the Paris Masters.
Despite being inconsistent lately, Auger-Aliassime is in much better form than the Croat, for whom every match feels like a huge challenge right now.
Both players are prone to be quite erratic, especially off their forehand wing, which has proven to be their undoing lately. If their respective recent matches are anything to go by, we could expect a less-than-pretty match with lots of unforced errors.
But if both their forehands aren't firing and leaking too many unforced errors, the Canadian should have an advantage by virtue of possessing a more imposing backhand. Cilic's backhand, though a reliable rally shot, is not known to be a finishing weapon.
Prediction: Felix Auger-Aliassime to win in three sets.
