4th seeded Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime has enjoyed an encouraging return to form this season, winning titles in Adelaide and Montpelier while finishing runner-up in Dubai.
2025 ATP Tour
ATP 250
BOSS Open (Stuttgart Open)
Tennis Club Weissenhof, Stuttgart, Germany (Outdoor Grass)
Selected Round of 16 Matches- 12th June
Felix Auger-Aliassime (4) 0.6 vs Giovanni Mpetshi Perrricard 1.31
He had a surreal clay-court campaign, not winning a single match outside of a semifinal finish in Hamburg. He probably needed a little decompression after throwing away a two-set lead in his French Open 1st round clash with Arnaldi. Still, he will bring a solid 20-12 record into this week’s BOSS Open. The big-serving Auger-Aliassime has shone here in the past, finishing runner-up in 2019 and 2021. The Canadian looked set to be a premier grass-court player after reaching the quarterfinals of the 2021 Wimbledon Championships. But he has disappointed on grass since then, failing to go beyond the 1st round at SW19 for each of the last three seasons. Perhaps he will feel emboldened after his scintillating start to this campaign.
French servebot Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard started the season rather well, reaching the semifinals in Brisbane before a hard-fought first-round defeat to Monfils at the Aussie Open. He battled for consistency after that and looked lost on the clay, going 2-6 in tour-level clay-court matches (he did win a Challenger in Bordeaux), However, this should be the time in the season where Mpethsi Perricard unleashes his full potential. He won two titles last year (highlighted by that Swiss indoors title at the end of the year). His height and mammoth serve make him a huge threat on quicker surfaces. He produced a breakthrough performance at SW19 last year, going down to eventual semifinalist Lorenzo Musetti in the 4th round. He didn’t look overly comfortable in Stuttgart opener, needing three sets to overcome an obstinate Roman Safiullin. It does help when you can fire down 26 aces in a three-set clash.
The Verdict: Auger-Aliassime to win in three sets at 2.65- These two share the head-to-head spoils at one win apiece, with the Canadian winning in straight sets in Hamburg a few weeks back. These surfaces will make this match feel like a different sport. I still think that Auger-Aliassime’s greater consistency and variety will get him over the line (I expect him to zone in on Perricard’s weak backhand with his explosive forehand).
