Alexander Blockx gets his biggest Madrid test yet on April 27 when he faces Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Round of 16, with the match scheduled for 16:30 CEST. Blockx has already spent plenty of energy on the clay, winning two straight matches in three sets to reach this stage of his debut campaign in Madrid.
The Belgian opened by beating Cristian Garin in three tight sets after dropping the first set 4-6, then turned around his second-round match against Brandon Nakashima and won again in three sets. That comeback mattered because the source says Blockx looked tired against Nakashima, even as he kept finding a way through. He now meets an opponent who arrives with cleaner form and the bookmakers’ backing.
Auger-Aliassime opened his Madrid run by beating Pablo Llamas Ruiz in straight sets and offered no breakpoints against Gaubas, a sign of how sharp he has been through the early rounds. He has won four of his last five matches, while Blockx has taken three of his last five. That form gap is why the Canadian is the favorite heading into this one, even if Madrid has already asked more questions of Blockx than anyone expected in his first appearance there.
The clash also sits in the middle of a packed April 27 schedule in Madrid, with Francisco Cerundolo and Luciano Darderi due on court earlier at 15:00 CEST. For Blockx, the issue is no longer whether he belongs in the field. It is whether he can recover quickly enough to make his run last one more round against a player who has looked far more efficient so far.
For bettors, that is the clean read: Blockx has survived by grinding, Auger-Aliassime has advanced by control. If that pattern holds, the Belgian’s legs may be the deciding factor before his shot-making gets the chance to matter.