Auger-Aliassime and Molcan will take on each other in the second round of the 2023 Australian Open on January 18.
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Vasek Pospisil was once among the top 25, but his persistent failure to perform at the highest level has dropped him to position 99. And as a result, Auger-Aliassime was predicted to dispatch his fellow Canadian easily in their first game. As it turned out, Auger-Aliassime and his opponent fought for the majority of the first three sets. His opponent’s resistance didn’t finally crumble until the fourth set. In his lone previous match of the season, Auger-Aliassime lost to Alexei Popyrin in the first round of the Adelaide International, and it took him more than four hours to defeat Pospisil. He prevailed 1-6, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3), 6-3 to advance.
Stan Wawrinka, who was expected to win his opening match, lost to Molcan in a combative match. And with that five-set victory, Molcan, a specialist on clay courts, matched his previous best performance at this tournament from last year. Similar to Auger-Alisssime, Molcan spent more than four hours on the court before coming back from two sets to one down to secure his spot in the second round. He triumphed 6-7 (3), 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4 while enduring nine serve breaks, 16 aces, and 67 winners from his opponent’s racquet.
| Auger-Aliassime vs Molcan | Match details |
|---|---|
| Date | January 18, 2023 |
| Surface | Hard courts |
| Tournament | Australian Open |
| Stage | First Round |
| Time (India) | TBD |
| Time (Australia) | TBD |
| Opponent | Score |
|---|---|
| Vasek Pospisil | 1-6, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3), 6-3 (W) |
| Alexei Popyrin | 6-4, 7-6 (L) |
| Taylor Fritz | 6-4, 7-6, 2-6 (L) |
| Rafael Nadal | 6-3, 6-4 (L) |
| Casper Ruud | 7-6, 6-4 (L) |
| Opponent | Score |
|---|---|
| Stan Wawrinka | 6-7 (3), 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4 (W) |
| Quentin Halys | 6-3, 6-4 (L) |
| Laslo Djere | 6-2, 6-4 (L) |
| Richard Gasquet | 6-3, 6-1 (L) |
| Arthur Rinderknech | 6-2, 6-4 (L) |
Auger-Aliassime and Molcan have faced one another once in the past where the Serbian won the match.
| Tournament | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Marrakech Open | Alex Molcan | 4-6, 6-2, 6-7 |
Auger-Aliassime and Molcan will take on each other in the second round of the 2023 Australian Open on January 18.
Australia – Nine and Stan Sport
Canada – TSN and RDS
India – Sony Sports Network
UK – Eurosport
USA – ESPN Network
The matches of both men’s and women’s can be live-streamed on demand on the Tennis TV app and website.
