The recent back injury that sidelined Felix Auger-Aliassime from participating in the National Bank Open in his hometown is showing signs of improvement. The 26-year-old tennis star from Montreal progressed to the Round of 16 at the Cincinnati Open after defeating Juan Manuel Cerundolo of Argentina with a score of 7-5, 6-1 on Tuesday night.
In a swift match lasting one hour and 27 minutes, Auger-Aliassime secured victory in the Round of 32 singles match against Cerundolo. His next challenge will be against Frances Tiafoe, who emerged victorious in a competitive two-hour and 10-minute match against Learner Tien with a score of 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 on the same night.
Auger-Aliassime commenced his Cincinnati campaign with a win over Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece with a scoreline of 6-3, 7-5 on Sunday. In the match against Cerundolo, Auger-Aliassime showcased six aces, five double faults, 22 unforced errors, and 19 winners. He managed to secure three out of nine return games and held all nine of his service games.
The Canadian player had withdrawn from the NBO in Montreal earlier due to a back injury sustained during training before the tournament where he was seeded No. 2. Notably, other top players like Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic also faced setbacks, with Sinner prioritizing his health, Alcaraz recovering from a wrist injury, and Djokovic withdrawing from the event.
