Two-time Marseille Open finalist Felix Auger-Aliassime hopes to get there once more, but he'll need to move past Zhizhen Zhang first.
The Chinese player is a very interesting player and can have such a devastating game at times. He has a powerful serve that is capable of doing a lot of damage, but he can also follow it up with a hammer of a forehand, which can destroy even the best.
Like for many, consistency is an issue, and he doesn't do it often, but he's certainly good enough to compete on the ATP Tour. That should be enough for Auger-Aliassime to take him seriously.
The Canadian hasn't had the perfect start to his 2024 season, but he's looked pretty decent recently. The hope is that it continues this week in Marseille, especially since he is familiar with being a two-time finalist at the event. So, let's see how they stack up.
We have never seen them play before, but there are a few things to note in the matchup. Both players can serve really well, and the conditions should favor them. It's indoors, so the ball flies rather quickly, and it's a relatively low-bouncing court.
We won't see too many long rallies here, and it's somewhat of a better court for Zhang because he won't be the patient one among them. He'll look to attack early and finish off points quickly. Depending on how well he plays, that could be tricky to counter.
Felix Auger-Aliassime | Zhizhen Zhang | |
0 | H2H | 0 |
28 | Rank | 50 |
23 | Age | 27 |
5-3 | 2024 W/L | 2-3 |
187-125 | Career W/L | 32-33 |
I expect a complicated matchup for Auger-Aliassime, likely three sets, because I expect Zhang to catch fire for a while. I do think the Canadian will ultimately come out on top because he plays well here generally, and he's looked pretty good recently.
Prediction: Felix Auger-Aliassime to win in 3 sets.