Canadian youngsters Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov will headline quarterfinal action at the Open Parc Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Lyon on Thursday. Auger-Aliassime awaits Steve Johnson, while Shapovalov faces Benoit Paire.
(4) Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. Steve Johnson
Auger-Aliassime enjoyed a first-round bye at a tournament for the first time in his career and he has made the most of it so far heading into the quarterfinals on Thursday. The 18-year-old Canadian kicked off his campaign against tough competitor John Millman on Tuesday and got the job done 7-6(3), 7-5. Auger-Aliassime now owns 18 ATP-level match victories in 2019, a number that includes a runner-up performance in Rio de Janeiro and a semifinal run in Miami as a qualifier.
Up next for the world No. 28 is Johnson, whom he has never faced. The 59th-ranked American has quite simply been a disaster dating back to last summer, but he is suddenly showing signs of a resurrection. Previously 4-10 this season, Johnson has picked up wins in Lyon over lucky loser Lloyd Harris and seventh-seeded Pierre-Hugues Herbert. Still, his sample size of success is small and Johnson’s week will likely come to an end with a steep step up in competition–especially on clay.
Pick: Auger-Aliassime in 2
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Benoit Paire vs. (3) Denis Shapovalov
Shapovalov may have a more difficult test on his hands than does his good friend and countryman. The head-to-head series between Shapovalov and Paire is tied up at one win apiece, with the former prevailing last spring on the red clay of Madrid before Paire exacted revenge at Wimbledon via a 0-6, 6-2, 6-4, 7-6(3) victory. Paire hopes to carry a winning 2019 record with him into Roland Garros, as he currently stands at 13-12 following Lyon defeats of Mackenzie McDonald and Pablo Cuevas.
Like Auger-Aliassime, Shapovalov earned an opening bye as the No. 3 seed. He then parlayed that into a successful 2-6, 7-6(3), 6-2 result against Ugo Humbert, improving to 15-11 for the year (just 2-4 at clay-court events). Although this contest might as well be a toss-up, Shapovalov is the more reliable performer from a mental standpoint and may be more eager to get matches under his belt prior to Paris given his struggles in recent weeks.
Pick: Shapovalov in 3
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FAA and Paire in three
Shapo is not that convincing on clay,and Paire is on a bit of a roll , so in front of his home crowd,could win a close three setter.
Very true but I went with Shapo in 3 anyway. Paire is like the little girl in the nursery rhyme “when he’s good he’s very very good and when he’s bad he’s horrid” and there’s no knowing which you’ll get.
Auger you idiot