Auger-Aliassime: Cincinnati 2023: Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Adrian Mannarino preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick

Fixture: (12)Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Adrian Mannarino

Tournament: Western & Southern Open 2023

Round: Second round (Round of 32)

Venue: Cincinnati, US

Surface: Hard

Prize money: $6,600,000

Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Adrian Mannarino preview

Felix Auger-Aliassime has fallen far from his best level in 2023, but he will have a chance to redeem himself by going deep in this week's Cincinnati Open. However, he has a tough task at hand as he faces French veteran Adrian Mannarino.

Auger-Aliassime has accumulated a dismal 14-13 win-loss record on the ATP tour this year, with his last quarterfinal appearance at a tournament coming eight months ago in Indian Wells. It should be noted, however, that the Canadian has been dealing with a recurring shoulder injury.

The injury didn't hamper him much in his first-round victory over former World No. 6 Matteo Berrettini, though, as he ended a five-match losing streak with a comprehensive 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory over the Italian.

The 23-year-old's next opponent, Adrian Mannarino, has had a much better 2023 ATP tour season in comparison. The Frenchman won a title at the 250-level event in Newport two months ago and has registered a respectable 26-18 win-loss record in tour matches.

He was in fine form against his countryman Richard Gasquet earlier this week in the first round, winning 6-4, 6-3 to advance to the second round of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Cincinnati.

Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Adrian Mannarino head-to-head

The second-round match in Cincinnati will be the first-ever career meeting between Felix Auger-Aliassime and Adrian Mannarino, so the head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.

Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Adrian Mannarino odds

(Odds will be added once they're available)

Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Adrian Mannarino prediction

The former World No. 6 has impressed a lot of people with his shot-making and athleticism in the past. In 2023, however, the Canadian has been a shadow of his past self and has failed to make inroads at the majority of the ATP events.

The key for Auger-Aliassime will be his ability to smack heavy forehands both crosscourt and inside out. The Canadian will also be expected to serve some big first-serve bombs, especially during clutch situations. In his opener against Berrettini, the 23-year-old won a whopping 83% of his first-serve points.

Mannarino, on the other hand, gets by on his precision skills as he doesn't possess his younger opponent's easy power. The Frenchman has made a name for himself with his super-tricky game, the highlight of which is his ability to manipulate the pace of any rally with his flat forehand.

If the Frenchman is able to keep his own in the rallies, he might be able to extract unforced errors from Auger-Aliassime's racket. And while that tactic usually comes in useful against the Canadian, Mannarino is capable of surprising him with his running down-the-line forehand shot as well.

Therefore, keeping in mind that Felix Auger-Aliassime is yet to hit top form this year, Adrian Mannarino is likely to spring an upset on him.

Pick: Adrian Mannarino to win in three sets.