In what is a fitting final between the two most impressive players at the ATP Montpellier event this week, Felix Auger-Aliassime will take on Aleksandar Kovacevic for the Open Occitanie crown. It should be an entertaining match and, as always, we here at LWOT will be offering our prediction for the final, as well as the WTA action in Singapore and Linz, but who will come out on top?

ATP Montpellier Final Prediction

Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Aleksandar Kovacevic

Head-to-head: Auger-Aliassime 1-0 Kovacevic

This is a match that Auger-Aliassime should win. The Canadian, a force to be reckoned with indoors, has played some excellent tennis this week – beating Arthur Cazaux, Bu Yunchaokete and Jesper de Jong to reach the final, all without dropping a set. He is also significantly more experienced than his opponent, despite being two years younger. Indeed, he will be bidding for his seventh title whilst Kovacevic will be playing in his first final.

That said, Kovacevic will doubtless be full of confidence. The American started his week in the qualifying, beating Robin Bertrand and Pablo Carreno Busta to reach the main draw where he has gone from strength-to-strength. He beat sixth seed David Goffin in the first round, Italy’s Mattia Bellucci in the second, fourth seed Alexander Bublik in the quarterfinals and top seed Andrey Rublev in the last four. Goffin is the only man to take a set off him so far this week.

That said, Auger-Aliassime probably represents a step up in the quality of opposition, particularly in these conditions. The second seed’s heavy forehand might also trouble Kovacevic’s single-hander if he can get it firing down-the-line. Kovacevic certainly struggled in their only previous meeting, which Auger-Aliassime won at a canter last year in Cincinnati. This should be a closer contest and may go the distance, but Auger-Aliassime should once again have the edge.

Prediction: Auger-Aliassime in 3

Main photo credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports