Felix Auger-Aliassime, recovering from a recent back injury that sidelined him from the National Bank Open in Montreal, showcased his progress by advancing to the Round of 16 at the Cincinnati Open. The 26-year-old tennis sensation from Montreal secured victory over Juan Manuel Cerundolo of Argentina with a score of 7-5, 6-1 during Tuesday night’s match.
Auger-Aliassime, completing the Round of 32 singles match against Cerundolo in just one hour and 27 minutes, is now set to face Frances Tiafoe in the upcoming round. Tiafoe emerged victorious in an intense two-hour and 10-minute all-American duel against Learner Tien with a score of 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 on the same evening.
In his initial match on Sunday, Auger-Aliassime triumphed over Stefanos Tsitsipas with a score of 6-3, 7-5. During the game against Cerundolo, Auger-Aliassime delivered six aces, five double faults, 22 unforced errors, and 19 winners. He successfully claimed three out of nine return games and all nine service games.
Earlier this month, Auger-Aliassime was compelled to withdraw from the NBO in Montreal due to a back injury sustained during his training regimen leading up to the tournament, where he was seeded No. 2. Notably, other top players like World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, Wimbledon champion, and World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, who missed Wimbledon due to a wrist injury, were also absent from the Montreal event. Additionally, Novak Djokovic, the record holder for male Grand Slam titles at 24, opted out of the tournament as well.