Cologne 1: Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Roberto Bautista Agut preview, head-to-head & prediction | Bett1Hulks Indoors 2020

Match details

Fixture: Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Roberto Bautista Agut

Date: 17 October 2020

Tournament: Bett1Hulks Indoors 2020

Round: Semifinals

Venue: Cologne, Germany

Category: ATP 250

Surface: Indoor hardcourt

Prize money: €325,610

Match timing: Approx. 4 pm CEST, 7.30 pm IST

Live telecast: USA - ESPN / Tennis Channel

Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Roberto Bautista Agut preview

Second seed Roberto Bautista Agut faces third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime on Saturday for a place in the final of the Bett1Hulks Indoors 2020 at Cologne.

Auger-Aliassime comes into the match on the back of two straight-sets wins - against Henri Laaksonen and Radu Albot - after a first round bye. The Canadian seems to have shaken off his underwhelming clay season, where he exited early at Rome, Hamburg and Roland Garros.

Auger-Aliassime would no doubt be pleased with his performances in Cologne so far. And after having reached two finals on indoor hardcourt this year - Rotterdam and Marseille - he will come into the semifinal full of confidence.

Roberto Bautista Agut at the Bett1Hulks Indoors 2020

Bautista Agut, on the other hand, has had to deal with more than a few complications in his first two matches. The Spaniard prevailed in two tight sets against veteran Gilles Simon, before beating Hubert Hurkacz in a hard-fought quarterfinal 6-4 5-7 6-0.

The Spaniard had a fairly good time on the quick hardcourts at Flushing Meadows, reaching the semifinal of the Cincinnati Masters. But since then he has failed to make much of an impact on the tour, with an uneventful clay season right before this tournament.

Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Roberto Bautista Agut head-to-head

The semifinal matchup between Felix Auger-Aliassime and Roberto Bautista Agut is their second meeting on tour, and Bautista Agut currently leads the head-to-head 1-0.

The pair met in the final of the Davis Cup nearly one year ago, which Bautista Agut won 7-6 6-3. That match also took place on an indoor hardcourt, and it was enormously significant for the Spaniard as it came shortly after the death of his father.

Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Roberto Bautista Agut prediction

Felix Auger-Aliassime at Bett1Hulks Indoors 2020

This match is a particularly difficult one to call, given their similar form on the tour in recent months. But Felix Auger-Aliassime might have a slight edge given his record on indoor hardcourts this year.

Roberto Bautista Agut has been solid this week, with his flat groundstrokes and good footwork doing some damage in the controlled conditions. His serve, however, happens to be very vulnerable; the Spaniard has conceded 20 break points over two matches in Cologne, and Auger-Aliassime would look to exploit that.

The young Canadian's wrist forehand and good serve make him a formidable opponent for anyone on this surface. When you couple that with his good form in Cologne so far, Auger-Aliassime seems like the favorite to dominate the shorter exchanges.

That said, Bautista Agut's proven ability and grit make him a considerably tougher opponent than Auger-Aliassime has faced in the recent past, so a win for either man is unlikely to be straightforward.

Prediction: Felix Auger-Aliassime to win in three sets.