Montreal’s Felix Auger-Aliassime triumphed in his comeback match at the Cincinnati Open, defeating Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-5 in the second round on Sunday. Despite facing challenges with the wind in the second set and failing to close out the match at 5-4, Auger-Aliassime managed to secure victory by breaking back and serving out the match with a decisive ace on match point.
Reflecting on the match, Auger-Aliassime acknowledged the difficult conditions due to the strong winds but expressed satisfaction with his performance after a 40-day break from competitive play since Wimbledon. The Canadian player, who had withdrawn from the National Bank Open due to a back injury, will now face Juan Cerundolo of Argentina in the next round.
In the women’s event, Xiyu Wang of China defeated 30th-seeded Leylah Fernandez in a hard-fought battle, winning 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. Wang, a former top 50 player, showcased a strong performance with 23 winners and managed to outplay Fernandez, who struggled with unforced errors and double faults throughout the match. Fernandez, who had reached the round of 16 at the National Bank Open, faced difficulties in both her service and return games against Wang’s solid play.