Felix Auger-Aliassime, who had to skip the National Bank Open in Montreal due to a back injury, showed positive signs of recovery as he progressed to the Round of 16 at the Cincinnati Open. The 26-year-old tennis player from Montreal secured a victory over Juan Manuel Cerundolo from Argentina with a score of 7-5, 6-1 on Tuesday evening.
In a swift match lasting one hour and 27 minutes, Auger-Aliassime displayed a strong performance against Cerundolo. His next challenge will be against Frances Tiafoe, who emerged victorious after a tough two-hour and 10-minute battle against Learner Tien in an all-American clash.
Auger-Aliassime’s journey in Cincinnati began with a win over Stefanos Tsitsipas from Greece with a score of 6-3, 7-5 in his first match on Sunday. In the match against Cerundolo, Auger-Aliassime showcased six aces, five double faults, 22 unforced errors, and 19 winners. He managed to win three out of nine return games and all nine of his service games.
Having withdrawn from the NBO tournament in Montreal earlier due to a back injury sustained during training, Auger-Aliassime, the No. 2 seed, is now making a strong comeback. Notably, other top players like Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic also faced challenges with injuries and had to withdraw from recent events.
