Montreal’s Felix Auger-Aliassime marked a successful comeback to the court by defeating Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-5 in the second round of the Cincinnati Open on Sunday. Auger-Aliassime, the second seed at the Masters-level tournament, faced challenges with the wind during the match and missed the opportunity to serve for victory at 5-4 in the second set. Despite this setback, the 26-year-old managed to break back in the following game and clinched the win with an ace on match point.

Auger-Aliassime shared, “The windy conditions made it difficult. I struggled with my serve due to the wind, but I was fortunate to break back and seal the match successfully in the end. It was a bit tricky towards the conclusion, especially after not playing for 40 days since Wimbledon. Despite some health issues in recent weeks, I’m delighted to return with a strong win.”

This victory was significant for Auger-Aliassime as he has historically found it tough against Tsitsipas, securing only his fourth win in 11 encounters with the Greek player. Up next, Auger-Aliassime will face Juan Cerundolo of Argentina, who caused an upset by defeating 25th seed Arthur Rinderknech of France in a tight match on Sunday.

In the women’s category, qualifier Xiyu Wang from China overcame 30th-seeded Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Quebec, with a score of 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 in a match lasting two hours and two minutes. Wang, 25 years old and formerly ranked 49th in the world, started slow but gained momentum in the second set to secure the victory. Fernandez, who recently reached the round of 16 at the National Bank Open in Toronto, struggled with her game against Wang, winning only three out of 12 return games and seven out of 12 service games.

Both Auger-Aliassime and Fernandez faced tough competition at the Cincinnati Open, with Auger-Aliassime’s win reflecting his resilience and Fernandez’s loss highlighting the challenges in the women’s draw.