Jiri Lehecka vs Felix Auger-Aliassime Prediction: Will this be a five-set game?

Tennis is one of the most fascinating sports. The action is relentless and each mistake is visible in a jiffy. It has also been one of the most controversial sports considering the personalities of the players that are involved. And more scrutiny and limelight are shed when there is a Grand Slam, which is the big event in this world. In the Grand Slam Australian Open, Jiri Lehecka will take on Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Fourth Round.

Jiri comes into the game after pulling off an upset after defeating 11th-seeded Cameron Norrie 6-7, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the Third Round. He did a great job with his return game, outmatching Norrie 38.5%-29.9%, earning a 55-41 points advantage. He also converted 54.5% of his breakpoints and by the end of the game, he had completely outplayed Norrie in all regards. This was the second time Jiri had beaten a seeded team, outplaying Borna Ciric in the first round in straight sets. He had his best year in 2022 but this one has been off to an even better start with Jiri first time making it past the initial round of a Grand Slam. 

Felix enters the contest after defeating Francisco Cerundolo 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the Third Round. Felix nailed 9 Aces in the last contest but was outmatched on the first serve. It was the return game where he consolidated his advantage, earning a 29-9 first service points advantage. He got hold of 38 winners compared to Francisco and had a 115-85 points advantage by the end of it. Felix has been in tough scenarios thus far. In the second round, Serbian Alex Molcan pushed him to five sets whereas his Canadian compatriot Vasek Pospisil also forced a long game with multiple sets requiring Felix to win seven games.

This is the first time these two players will meet.

Jiri comes into the game in brilliant form and his ability to beat seeded players has been huge. Felix is a busy player and moves a lot around the court which makes him a tough draw. However, Lehecka’s evolving game will make it tough for Felix here. This can be a game that reaches at least four sets or even the fifth one. I predict this game will swing late in the favor of Felix.