Montreal’s Felix Auger-Aliassime marked a successful comeback on the court by defeating Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-5 in the second round of the Cincinnati Open. Despite being seeded second at the Masters-level event, Auger-Aliassime faced challenges with the wind in the second set and missed an opportunity to close out the match at 5-4. However, he managed to break back in the following game and secured victory on his second chance with a powerful ace on match point.
Reflecting on the match, Auger-Aliassime acknowledged the adverse wind conditions that affected his serve performance but expressed gratitude for the win after a 40-day break from competitive play since Wimbledon. The Canadian player, who had to withdraw from the National Bank Open due to a back injury, will now prepare to face Juan Cerundolo of Argentina in the upcoming round. Cerundolo, with a 1-2 record against Auger-Aliassime, caused an upset by defeating 25th seed Arthur Rinderknech of France in a closely contested match.
In the women’s event, qualifier Xiyu Wang from China overcame 30th seed Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory that lasted two hours and two minutes. Wang, a 25-year-old player formerly ranked 49th in the world, started slowly but improved her performance in the subsequent sets, securing the win with a combination of winners, unforced errors, aces, and double faults. Fernandez, who had a notable run to the round of 16 at the National Bank Open in Toronto, struggled with her return and service games against Wang, resulting in a challenging loss.
The Cincinnati Open continues to showcase intense competition and surprising outcomes, setting the stage for more thrilling matches in the days ahead.