Italian Open 2021: Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Federico Delbonis preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Federico Delbonis

Date: 13 May 2021

Tournament: Internazionali BNL d'italia 2021

Round: Third round (Round of 16)

Venue: Rome, Italy

Category: ATP Masters 1000

Surface: Red clay

Prize money: €2,082,960

Match timing: Approx. 2 pm local time, 12 pm GMT, 8 am EST

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video

Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Federico Delbonis preview

Felix Auger-Aliassime has finally started to put up some good results under Toni Nadal's tutelage. The young Canadian upset eighth-seeded Argentine Diego Schwartzman on Tuesday to set up a third-round showdown against another Argentine - Federico Delbonis.

Auger-Aliassime hadn't won a single match in his two previous visits to Rome. However, he has changed that narrative in emphatic fashion this week.

After beating Filip Krajinovic in the opening round, the man from Montreal handed Diego Schwartzman his earliest defeat in Rome in three years. Auger-Aliassime won 76% of his first-serve points and secured five breaks on the way to a routine 6-1, 6-3 victory in precisely an hour.

Federico Delbonis, on his part, had to wait an extra day to confirm his progress. With rain falling heavily on Tuesday afternoon, a few matches were moved to Wednesday - including Delbonis' match against David Goffin.

Delbornis made light work of the three-time Rome quarterfinalist, completing a 6-1, 6-3 rout to reach the third round.

Federico Delbonis

Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Federico Delbonis head-to-head

This third-round match will be the first-ever meeting of any kind between Felix Auger-Aliassime and Federico Delbonis, so the head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.

Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Federico Delbonis prediction

There is a general consensus that men's tennis is witnessing a changing of the guard. And Felix Auger-Aliassime, one of the leading lights of the Next Gen stars, is looking to achieve a significant landmark this week.

The Canadian has some special attributes in his game, which even caught the eye of Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni. Not only does Auger-Aliassime have a cool head under pressure, but he also possesses immense athletic ability and a shrewd mind - all of which help him outlast many opponents in lengthy baseline exchanges.

Federico Delbonis will certainly present a tough challenge though, given his well-known claycourt prowess. The left-handed Argentine has posted a 19-9 record for the season, with all of his wins coming on the dirt.

Delbonis is playing with supreme confidence right now, which is natural for a player who has been a regular feature on this surface since February. However, there are a few options at Auger-Aliassime's disposal which should put him in good stead to combat Delbonis' mammoth topspin.

The Canadian is an aggressive counterpunching machine, and his ability to cover the court in a few steps enables him to turn defense into attack with just one shot. We can expect Auger-Aliassime to roll into the quarterfinals with a win over Delbonis on Thursday, unless he suffers a serious lapse in concentration.

Prediction: Felix Auger-Aliassime to win in two tight sets.