Felix Auger Aliassime vs. Taylor Harry Fritz Prediction: Debutants Vie for SemiFinal Spot

The fifth seed On Thursday, November 17, Felix Auger-Aliassime will face eighth seed Taylor Fritz in the final round robin match of the 2022 ATP Finals.

No one could beat Felix Auger-Aliassime for 16 matches in a row before the Canadian dropped two in a row. The first occurred in the semifinals of the Paris Masters against eventual champion Holger Rune, and the second came in his ATP Finals debut against Casper Ruud.

However, given Auger-Aliassime's recent form, particularly on indoor courts, it seemed only a matter of time before he returned to winning ways, which he did on Tuesday by playing some top-notch tennis against one of the best in the business: Rafael Nadal.

Auger-Aliassime hit 15 aces, won 81% of his points on his first delivery, and saved 5 of 5 break points. He also had four break chances in the match, and he grabbed two of them to win 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 58 minutes.

The Canadian sits third in the Group after losing in straight sets against Ruud in the opener. Ruud has a 2-0 win-loss record, while Fritz and Auger-Aliassime are both 1-1. However, because Auger-Aliassime's 2-2 set record is inferior to Fritz's 3-2 set record, he is ranked third. However, that will not be a factor in the final round of group matches because Ruud has already qualified and Nadal has already been eliminated. As a result, the winner of the Auger-Aliassime-Fritz match will advance to the semifinals.

The Canadian, who has four titles this year, is aiming for a fifth consecutive semifinal appearance. The world number six has had a fantastic season and will not want it to end prematurely.

Taylor Fritz lost a nail-biter against Casper Rruud in the second match of the event on Tuesday, after winning the first match in straight sets over Rafael Nadal. As a consequence of the loss, he now faces a virtual quarterfinal against Felix Auger-Aliassime in the last match, with the winner advancing to the semifinals and the loser relegated to the offseason.

Fritz made a brave comeback attempt after dropping the opening set to third seed Ruud. He broke the Norwegian in the final game of the second set and then saved two break opportunities in the third to keep his serve intact. The world number nine also survived two match points in the fourth set tiebreak, but couldn't save a third, falling 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (8-6) in two hours and 12 minutes.

In the opening set, the 25-year-old, who made his top-10 debut this year, defeated Nadal 7-6 (7-3), 6-1.

Fritz, like Auger-Aliassime, is making his tournament debut. He's had a tremendous year, winning three titles, including the Indian Wells Open.

Overall, the American is 45-19 this year and will look to extend his season by at least one more match on Thursday.

The two debutants are in a simulated quarterfinal. While both players have had a fantastic season, Auger-26-5 Aliassime's indoor record gives him the advantage in this match. Expect a close match, with the Canadian advancing to the semifinals.

• Total over 23.5 for 1.81
• Handiсap Felix Auger Aliassime (-2) for 1.88
• Individual Total 2 Under 12.5 for 1.95