Paris Masters 2022: Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Gilles Simon preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (8) Felix Auger-Aliassime vs (WC) Gilles Simon.
Date: November 3, 2022.
Tournament: Paris Masters 2022.
Round: Third round (Round of 16).
Venue: Paris, France.
Category: ATP Masters 1000.
Surface: Indoor hardcourt.
Prize money: €5,415,410.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN & Sportsnet | UK - Amazon Prime.
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Gilles Simon preview
World No. 8 Felix Auger-Aliassime will take on home favorite Gilles Simon in the third round of the 2022 Paris Masters on Thursday.
After a first-round bye, Auger-Aliassime was up against qualifier Mikael Ymer in the second round. He was under pressure right from the start as he faced a total of five break points across his first three service games in the opening set. The Canadian even squandered a set point on his opponent's serve at 5-4.
It proved to be a missed opportunity for him as Ymer would go on to take the set in the tie-break later on. The Swede raced to a 4-1 lead in the second set but Auger-Aliassime claimed five games in a row to flip the script and clinch the set.
Auger-Aliassime led by a break twice in the third set but surrendered his advantage on both occasions as Ymer managed to level the score. The match was decided by a tie-break, with the Canadian coming out on top to complete a 6-7 (6), 6-4, 7-6 (6) comeback win in three and a half hours.
Gilles Simon knocked out three-time Major champion Andy Murray to set up a second-round clash against Taylor Fritz. The duo started by exchanging service breaks at the start of the match but remained steady on serve after that. The Frenchman then saved three set points on his serve at 5-4 later on.
Simon managed to break Fritz's serve to go 6-5 up and served out the set comfortably to take the lead. Though he was the first to go up a break in the second set, the American got back on serve immediately. The 25-year-old snagged a break towards the end of the set to clinch it and force a decider.
Fritz held three break points in the sixth game of the final set but Simon dug deep to hold serve. The Frenchman then bagged the last three games of the match to win 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 in three hours.
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Gilles Simon head-to-head
Auger-Aliassime leads Simon 2-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at the 2022 Open 13 in Marseille in straight sets.
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Gilles Simon odds
All odds are sourced from BetMGM.
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Gilles Simon prediction
Simon is competing in the final tournament of his career but might be rethinking retirement after his performances here. He played another great match to defeat Fritz.
Auger-Aliassime looked a little off, perhaps a sign of playing non-stop tennis for three straight weeks. While Ymer's defense proved to be too much for him at times, he managed to prevail in the end. He hit 45 winners but his unforced error count was a little high at 36.
Both players will be exhausted after their marathon matches in the previous round. Auger-Aliassime's youth will give him an edge but Simon has absolutely nothing to lose here. Like Ymer, the Frenchman is also capable of playing some excellent defensive tennis, which could put the 22-year-old on the backfoot.
Simon will be gunning for yet another upset win but it seems unlikely that he'll be the one to snap Auger-Aliassime's 14-match winning streak.
Pick: Felix Auger-Aliassime to win in straight sets.