Basel Open 2022: Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. Miomir Kecmanovic Tennis Pick and Prediction

TennisSection previews the 2022 Basel Open as Felix Auger-Aliassime takes on Miomir Kecmanovic in the Round of 16 on Thursday, October 27th, 2022.

Felix Auger-Aliassime cannot afford another slow start when he takes on the dangerous Miomir Kecmanovic in a tough second-round match at the Basel Open. The Canadian will a play a top 30 player for just the second time since the start of October. So how will he fare?

After struggling to win his first eight Tour-level finals, the floodgates have opened up for Felix Auger-Aliassime. The Canadian ended his wait for an ATP title in Rotterdam earlier this season when he defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final. And he has since bagged two more titles on indoor hard courts, in Florence and Antwerp respectively. The Canadian powerhouse could make it three in three this autumn if he can successfully walk away with the Basel Open crown. And judging by his current form and learning experiences, he looks very much on course to do so.

Miomir Kecmanovic, for his part, overcame Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-7 6-2 6-1 in just over two hours in his first-round match at the Basel Open. The first set lasted 64 minutes and it was Davidovich Fokina who came out on top by the narrowest of margins. However, Kecmanovic regrouped and tweaked his game a little in order to apply more pressure on his return. He was rewarded handsomely as Davidovich Fokina ceded four breaks of serve in the next two sets.

Felix Auger-Aliassime and Miomir Kecmanovic are tied at 2-2 across all levels. Auger-Aliassime is gunning for his third ATP title in as many weeks whilst simultaneously looking to cement his place in Turin for the season-ending finale. In his last two title runs, Auger-Aliassime has only played one player (Dan Evans) ranked higher than Kecmanovic, which underlines the stern test that awaits him at the Basel Open. But the ammunitionof powerful serve and a monstrous forehand should just about bail him out.