Cincinnati 2020: Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Tennys Sandgren preview, head-to-head & prediction | Western & Southern Open
Match details
Match: Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Tennys Sandgren
Date: 24 August 2020
Tournament: Western & Southern Open 2020
Round: Round of 32
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA.
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $4,674,780
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN | India - Sony Ten 2
Match timing: 11 am EDT, 8.30 pm IST
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Tennys Sandgren preview
Felix Auger-Aliassime registered a commanding victory over Nikoloz Basilashvili in the opening round of the Western & Southern Open. His reward is a second-round match-up against wild-card entrant Tennys Sandgren.
The Canadian youngster was slow to get off the blocks against Basilashvili but found his rhythm midway through the first set. After that, there was no looking back as he raced to a 6-4 6-1 victory in 76 minutes.
Tennys Sandgren on the other hand had a rather eventful and topsy-turvy match against Lorenzo Sonego. The big-hitting American made great use of his powerful serve to take the first set 6-3, as the Italian struggled to time his returns. But the second set saw a big dip from Sandgren, who had to save three set-points before finally clinching it in the tie-break.
Sandgren’s serve faltered quite a bit during the second set and Sonego made matters worse for the American by considerably improving his own. Sonego was inches away from taking the match into a decider but the American kept his composure to seal the contest on his second match point.
Both Felix Auger-Aliassime and Tennys Sandgren faced slight difficulties in getting acclimatized to the hot conditions and the newly-laid courts. They will now look to shrug off the last bit of rustiness before potentially taking on World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the third round.
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Tennys Sandgren head-to-head
Felix Auger-Aliassime and Tennys Sandgren are yet to play against each other and as such the head-to-head is locked at 0-0.
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Tennys Sandgren prediction
Despite playing his singles match a day before Tennys Sandgren, Felix Auger-Aliassime will barely have any rest given his doubles commitments. Recovery would be key for the youngster before he takes on the big-hitting American.
The 20-year-old is touted by many to be a future Grand Slam champion, and his performances on tour so far have only supported those claims. Auger-Aliassime has a solid all-round game which continues to improve on a regular basis.
While his serve may not be as consistent as Sandgren’s, the Canadian more than makes up for that with his high-quality groundstrokes. Auger-Aliassime has the uncanny ability to hit winners from the tightest of angles on the court.
Tennys Sandgren on the other hand is a player who blows hot and cold through most of his matches. When in form he can dictate points on his serve and hold his own in the longer rallies, but the American often experiences moments where he loses his focus.
Needless to say, Auger-Aliassime will look to capitalize on that.
Prediction: Felix Auger-Aliassime to win in three sets.