Daniil Medvedev and Felix Auger-Aliassime will face off in the third round of the 2024 Australian Open at the Margaret Court Arena on Saturday early morning ET. This could prove to be the most nail-biting encounter of this round.
Medvedev spent almost the entire 2023 season as World No.3, adding two ATP 1000 titles to his kitty last year. He did not appear in any build-up tournaments in 2024, heading into the Australian Open with a 0-0 record.
The Russian star began his campaign Down Under against Terence Altmane, who retired early in the fourth set. He then took on Emil Ruusuvuori in a titanic tussle that ended at 3:40 a.m. After battling for nearly five hours, he won 3-6, 6-7 (1), 6-4, 7-6 (1), 6-0.
Auger-Aliassime, meanwhile, struggled in 2023 to rediscover the form that propelled him to World No.6 in 2022. He is currently World No.30, entering the 2024 Australian Open with a 0-1 record after a first-round exit from the ASB Classic in Auckland.
His 2024 Australian Open run started with a five-set thriller opposite Dominic Thiem. He had an easier second-round tie, winning in four sets against Hugo Grenier.
Medvedev leads the head-to-head against Auger-Aliassime by a whopping 6-0 margin. The former is yet to find his best form and it is barely over 24 hours after his late-night clash against Ruusuvuori. However, he is still an elite player and amongst the title favorites.
Auger-Aliassime has also looked scratchy, which would likely not be good enough to score an upset over Medvedev. The Canadian will look to take advantage of the 2021 US Open winner’s fatigue, which promises to be a thriller. However, The SportsRush predicts Daniil Medvedev to win in four sets or more using his class and experience.
The fixture will happen on Saturday, January 20, not before 7:00 p.m. local time (3:00 a.m. ET). ESPN and Tennis Channel will stream the match in the United States. It is expected to be partly cloudy and slightly humid, with temperatures around 26°C.
Daniil Medvedev vs. Felix Auger-Aliassime head-to-head
The head-to-head between Medvedev and Auger-Aliassime paints a sorry picture for the latter. The Russian leads the lopsided record 6-0, beginning with a three-set victory in the 2018 Canadian Open.
Even during his best years, 2021 and 2022, Auger-Aliassime could not beat Medvedev in three attempts. The latter again beat him in the 2021 US Open semi-finals, going on to lift the title. Medvedev dominated him in their next meeting, winning with a bagel in the 2022 ATP Cup.
Auger-Aliassime came closest to defeating Medvedev in the quarter-finals of the 2022 Australian Open. He won the first two sets but allowed his opponent to win the third. However, he found his footing in the fourth and raced to match point, which he failed to convert. Medvedev won the set and the decider to wrap the fixture in his favour. He further extended his lead over Auger-Aliassime with two straight-set victories in 2023.
Daniil Medvedev is backed to continue his dominance over Felix Auger-Aliassime, given his elite gameplay and the Canadian’s patchy form. If he wins as predicted, he will face either Grigor Dimitrov or Nuno Borges in the Round of 16.
