US Open 2021: Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Carlos Alcaraz preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (12) Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Carlos Alcaraz
Date: 7 September 2021
Tournament: US Open 2021
Round: Quarterfinals
Venue: New York, United States
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $40,560,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN/ESPN 2 | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Carlos Alcaraz preview
Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime takes on Spanish teen sensation Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals of the US Open on Tuesday.
Auger-Aliassime seemed to have briefly lost his way following a couple of runner-up finishes and a run to his maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon. But the World No. 15 got his rhythm back at Cincinnati, where he made the last eight.
Riding on that momentum, Auger-Aliassime has now reached his first-ever US Open quarterfinal. It hasn't been an easy campaign for the 21-year-old so far, but he has regularly fought his way out of trouble with aplomb.
Auger-Aliassime has won only one of his four matches so far in straight sets. While in the third round he was stretched to five sets by Roberto Bautista Agut, in the Round of 16 it was home favorite Frances Tiafoe who took a set off the youngster before going down 6-4, 2-6, 6-7(6), 4-6.
Auger-Aliassime will now set his sights on his first-ever semifinal appearance at a Major when he meets 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz.
Alcaraz arrived at the US Open full of confidence, having won his maiden ATP title at Umag and reached the semifinals in Winston-Salem. He has now taken New York by storm too, with a string of scintillating performances that belie his age.
The World No. 55 beat 26th seed Cameron Norrie in straight sets to start his campaign on a grand note. But it was with his third-round upset of third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas that the teen truly came of age.
Alcaraz held his nerve and showed excellent fighting spirit to outlast the Greek 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(2), 0-6, 7-6(5). The win made him the youngest man ever to beat a top 3 player at the US Open.
Alcaraz backed that up with yet another grueling five-set triumph on Sunday, to become the youngest US Open quarterfinalist in the Open Era. His victim this time was German qualifier Peter Gojowczyk, who lost 5-7, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, 6-0.
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Carlos Alcaraz head-to-head
Felix Auger-Aliassime and Carlos Alcaraz have never squared off on the tour before, so their head-to-head currently stands at a 0-0 deadlock.
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Carlos Alcaraz prediction
Both Felix Auger-Aliassime and Carlos Alcaraz are known for their strong forehand and aggressive style of play. The match is therefore expected to see a lot of winners from either side of the court.
Auger-Aliassime has the edge in the serve department. The Canadian has already clocked 77 aces so far in the tournament, and will look to bring his big serve to the fore against Alcaraz too.
The Spaniard, on his part, doesn't get many free points off his serve, but he makes up for that with his superb ground game. Alcaraz has shown tremendous tenacity and resolve this week to reach the quarterfinals of a Major at such a young age. But the 18-year-old has played a few too many marathons to reach this point, which could affect his energy levels if his face-off against Auger-Aliassime goes the distance.
The 12th seed has prior experience of playing in the quarterfinals of a Slam, and that should come in handy too. The only concern for Auger-Aliassime is his tendency to leak unforced errors under pressure. If he can keep a check on that in the crunch situations - like he has done so far this week - he should be able to get over the finish line.
Prediction: Felix Auger-Aliassime to win in four sets.