The second semifinal of the men’s Madrid Open is one not many expected. Felix Auger-Aliassime will play against Jiri Lehecka, as they both received walkovers in their quarterfinal clashes. Prior to the tournament, Lehecka’s best run came in the Indian Wells Masters, as he achieved three wins in the tournament.

Auger-Aliassime has not won more than two matches in any tournaments prior to Madrid but found a way to overcome the competition to find himself in his first clay Masters semifinal.

Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Jiri Lehecka: Preview

Aliassime beat Yoshihito Nishioka, Adrian Mannarino, and Casper Ruud. He received walkovers from Jakub Mensik and Jannik Sinner. He has hit 20 aces in his run, 11 against Nishioka, with 7 double faults. Against Ruud, he won 78% of points on the first serve and broke the clay specialist twice while being broken only once. To win, Aliassime hit 32 winners, with 13 unforced errors and won 24 out of 28 net points, with 24 return points.

Lehecka beat Hamad Medjedovic, Thiago Monteiro, and Rafael Nadal and received a walkover from Daniil Medvedev. Lehecka has hit 25 aces and 5 double faults, with 88% of points won on first serve against Nadal and 94% against Medvedev. Against the King of Clay, he did not get broken once while taking 2 break points from Nadal. He hit 33 winners with 12 unforced errors. He also won 22 out of 29 net points and won 28 points on return.

Auger-Aliassime vs Lehecka: Head-to-Head 

Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jiri Lehecka have played against each other once on the ATP Tour. They played in the 2023 Australian Open round of 16, and after a four-set battle, Lehecka attained victory over the Canadian player 4-6, 6-3, 7-6, 7-6. Their only match was held over a year ago and does not showcase their current forms as they step into the semifinal of the Madrid Open, where both come off of great runs.  

Prediction: Lehecka to win his first Madrid Open semifinal

The difference between both players is not far apart at the moment. Both found advantages with walkovers, which certainly helped them reach the semifinal. Jiri Lehecka is set to advance in a close match as he has been the more consistent player over the last few months. Auger-Aliassime rose to rank 6 in 2022 but has faced a steady decline since then, with 2024 not faring much better for him.

Both have taken advantage of their serves as they’ve hit many aces and won the most points, which puts great emphasis on their returns. Currently, Lehecka has shown better control over his opponent’s serve than the Canadian. Lehecka beat not only Nadal but also the crowd, which cheered for the 22-time grand slam champion, showing immense mental strength. 

Statistics favor the Czechia, but the advantage over an Aliassime, who is aiming to return to the top 10, is minute. However, it can make or break their clash. Lehecka will advance to the final and will play either one of Taylor Fritz or Andrey Rublev.