Auger-Aliassime’s first real breakout on the main tour just came in February and March, when he finished runner-up in Rio de Janeiro, advanced to the Indian Wells third round as a wild card (upset Stefanos Tsitsipas), and made a run to the Miami semifinals (beat fellow up-and-comers Hubert Hurkacz and Borna Coric along the way). The 18-year-old has already climbed to 33rd in the world after starting the season at No. 108.
Making a move back to clay, on which he played so well during the Golden Swing, Auger-Aliassime maintained his outstanding form by beating Juan Ignacio Londero 7-5, 7-6(5) in the Monte-Carlo first round on Tuesday.
“It was a tough match,” the Canadian commented. “He already won a title this year. I played against him in South America, and he had victory after victory, so I knew it was going to be difficult. And it was. But I’m very happy to win my first match after Miami, because I didn’t know what to expect after [that success]. But I felt from the beginning I was having a good feeling.
“It wasn’t easy, because he was fighting until the end, and he raised his level of tennis at the end of the match. But I just had to keep on working, keep on looking for any chance, and I managed to win. That was very important.”
Auger-Aliassime’s reward is a first-ever meeting with Zverev, who has struggled to build on an awesome 2018 campaign that he punctuated with a Nitto ATP Finals title. The third-ranked German is just 9-5 in tournament matches this season and 2-4 in his last six (1-4 in his last five non-retirement matches).
A huge edge in current form goes to Auger-Aliassime, who should also benefit from already having a victory under his belt this week. He has played 11 clay-court matches in 2019; Zverev has played none. Moreover, all the pressure is on the No. 3 seed to turn things around against a similarly young, hyped-up opponent.
Pick: Auger-Aliassime in 2
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