Félix is on a roll.

The recipe is often the same with Auger-Aliassime: either he goes out in the first round, or he can go all the way and play for the title.

It wasn’t an easy first-round match on paper against Kopriva, who’s in good form at the moment, but Auger-Aliassime played a really good match, especially a very high-level second set. I really like the conditions for the Canadian this week, and I genuinely believe we might see his best version during this tournament, after he was a bit messy in his last two matches. It also has to be said that the match-up was a bit more pleasant: Kopriva is not a defender on the level of Navone, for example, and Félix’s offensive qualities did damage more quickly.

Tomorrow he faces another match-up that he particularly likes, and an opponent he has already beaten twice: Kovacevic. The American is a lucky loser and got revenge on Géa, who had knocked him out in qualifying. A great performance from the American, who continues his progress at the highest level, regardless of the surface. He’s a player on the rise this season and someone who has to be taken relatively seriously. In certain weeks, he can play far better than his ranking suggests, notably thanks to the quality of his serve and his sharp forehand.

The step still seems a bit too high for Kovacevic to me, especially on clay, where he’ll be less able to roll through his service games if Auger-Aliassime is at least somewhat focused on the return. I see the Canadian as the clear favorite in this match.