French Open 2023: Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Fabio Fognini preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | Roland Garros
Match Details
Fixture: (10) Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Fabio Fognini
Tournament: French Open 2023
Round: First round (Round of 128)
Venue: Paris, France
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor clay
Prize money: €49,600,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel, NBC Sports, Peacock TV | Canada - TSN | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Ten
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Fabio Fognini preview
Felix Auger-Aliassime and Fabio Fognini are set to duke it out in the first round of the 2023 French Open.
Auger-Aliassime was forced to skip the Monte-Carlo Masters due to an injury. Upon his return to action at the Madrid Open, he was knocked out by Dusan Lajovic in his opener. He did team up with compatriot Denis Shapovalov to compete in doubles, and the duo made it to the quarterfinals.
Auger-Aliassime suffered another early exit as he crashed out of the Italian Open without winning a match, losing to Alexei Popyrin in three sets. The Canadian then participated in the Lyon Open and scored his first win of the clay season by defeating Pablo Llamas Ruiz in the first round. He was set to face Arthur Fils in the second round, but he withdrew prior to his match due to an injury.
Fognini scored a straight-sets win over Alessandro Giannessi to begin his Estoril Open campaign. Up against Marco Cecchinato in the second round, he lost to his compatriot in three sets. The 36-year-old then withdrew from the Madrid Open.
Fognini faced three-time Major champion Andy Murray in the first round of the Italian Open. He defeated the Brit in three sets, much to the delight of the home crowd. He ousted Miomir Kecmanovic in the next round, following which Holger Rune put an end to his challenge in Rome.
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Fabio Fognini head-to-head
Auger-Aliassime leads Fognini 1-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at the 2019 Rio Open in straight sets.
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Fabio Fognini odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Fabio Fognini prediction
Auger-Aliassime is ranked 10th in the world, while Fognini isn't even in the top 100. Despite the huge gulf in their rankings, this could be a closely fought battle rather than a blowout for the Canadian.
Auger-Aliassime took Rafael Nadal to five sets at last year's French Open, becoming just the third player to do so. He hasn't displayed that sort of form for a while now, but the talent is still there. Fognini is a credible threat on clay, and with a game that compliments the surface, he could give the Canadian a run for his money.
Fognini has won more matches in the build-up to the French Open than Auger-Aliassime. The 22-year-old's lackluster results, coupled with his latest injury scare, could spell doom for him. Nevertheless, the young Canadian is likely to prevail in the end, provided he's fully fit for this encounter.
Pick: Felix Auger-Aliassime to win in five sets.