Felix Auger-Aliassime, recovering from a recent back injury that sidelined him from the National Bank Open in Montreal, showcased a strong performance at the Cincinnati Open. The 26-year-old tennis player from Montreal progressed to the Round of 16 by defeating Juan Manuel Cerundolo of Argentina with a score of 7-5, 6-1 on Tuesday evening.
Auger-Aliassime swiftly secured victory in the Round of 32 match against Cerundolo in just one hour and 27 minutes. His next opponent will be Frances Tiafoe, who triumphed over Learner Tien in a challenging two-hour and 10-minute all-American clash.
In his earlier match on Sunday, Auger-Aliassime outplayed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece with a score of 6-3, 7-5. Against Cerundolo, he delivered six aces, five double faults, 22 unforced errors, and 19 winners. Auger-Aliassime won three out of nine return games and all nine of his service games.
Having withdrawn from the NBO in Montreal due to a back injury sustained during training, Auger-Aliassime was the second seed at the Canadian tournament. Other notable players missing from the NBO included world No. 1 and Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner, world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz recovering from a wrist injury, and Novak Djokovic, the record holder for male Grand Slam titles.