Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the United Cup match.
Felix Auger-Aliassime is kicking off a new season following a less-than-stellar end to last year. The Canadian is eager to display competitive tennis to justify his standing and reclaim a spot in the top 30. For Borna Coric, participating in the United Cup offers a chance to prove he's still capable of competing at a high level despite setbacks in his career.
Felix Auger-Aliassime
Last season was quite mixed for Felix. Despite successes on clay courts, where he reached the semi-finals of the Olympics and the quarter-finals of the Rome Masters for the first time in his career, his performance on hard courts left much to be desired. Auger-Aliassime finished the season ranked 29th in the ATP rankings, losing 12 out of 22 matches to players outside the top 50. His primary strengths lie in his powerful serve and attacking style, enabling him to take control quickly during rallies. Auger-Aliassime has won over 75% of points on his first serve for the past four seasons, but his return game remains a weak spot. In 2023 and 2024, he often lost crucial games due to return errors.
Borna Coric
Borna Coric continues to struggle with regaining form following a shoulder injury. Last season, he won only five out of 13 matches against top-50 players, and his overall hard court performance was poor, with just three wins in 10 matches. The Croatian's key strength remains his powerful and aggressive shots from both wings. However, the stability that was once his forte has significantly diminished. Coric frequently makes errors in routine rallies, putting him at a disadvantage against more consistent opponents.
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Borna Coric Prediction
The end of last season was disappointing for both players. Though Auger-Aliassime performed well in the Davis Cup, he struggled during the Asian swing and finished the season without playing in the Paris Masters. Meanwhile, Coric ended the year with losses even at the challenger level, falling to less experienced opponents. However, both players' consistency is questionable, especially after a long break. Felix has lost his opening matches of the season twice in the last two years with a total over 22.5 games, and eight of Coric's last 10 hard-court matches have also featured a high number of games. The match is expected to be a tough battle, so we're betting on a high-scoring affair.
