(Paris) Félix Auger-Aliassime offered no chance to American Frances Tiafoe on Friday en route to a convincing 6-1, 6-4 win that took him into the semi-finals of the Masters of Paris.
Posted at 10:52
Updated at 11:10 a.m.
Auger-Aliassime also recorded a 16e straight win, an irresistible streak during which he won three titles – those of Florence, Antwerp and Basel – bringing his career total to four. He also covets a first career Masters 1000 series title.
The Quebecer now has a career record of 3-0 on the ATP circuit against Tiafoe, after an expeditious duel of one hour and 33 minutes on the cement of the Accor Arena in Paris.
“I was lucky at times, but I also felt like I gave a really good performance. We played a very close match (at the United States Tennis Open) in New York, and another in Barcelona this year,” Auger-Aliassime first mentioned in a post-match television interview.
“But I won the first set 6-1, and when I got my sixth match point (against him) I said to myself that I had to raise my level of play a notch. He tried everything to get back into the game, but I’m happy to have managed to impose myself during the crucial moments of the match, ”he added.
Auger-Aliassime will face in the semi-finals the winner of the match which will take place later today between the world No. 1, Carlos Alcaraz, and the Dane Holger Rune – two opponents the representative of the maple leaf has recently beaten.
” It’s crazy. This is my first semi-final in a Masters 1000 series tournament since the one (against John Isner) in Miami in 2019. At the time, I did not expect to find myself there and I said to myself: “Oh, my God, I’m sure I’m going to make other semi-finals in a Masters tournament, but in the end, it took me three years to get there again,” Auger-Aliassime recalled.
“It would be great if I could make it to my first Masters Series Final,” he concluded with a smile on his face.
As was the case the day before against the French Gilles Simon, Auger-Aliassime had a great start.
He quickly stole Tiafoe’s serve to build a 3-0 lead in the first set. The eighth seed, in full control of her means, followed up with another break to finally seal the outcome of the first set in 27 short minutes.
The Quebec steamroller continued their momentum in the second set, quickly forging a 3-1 cushion against the 16e first in the series. Auger-Aliassime never looked back afterward, putting the finishing touches to his triumph with his sixth match point.
Towards the end of the game, Tiafoe, visibly overwhelmed by events, briefly tried to find comfort by offering a hug to a young ball attendant. A scene that aroused the laughter – and the sympathy – of the Parisian crowd.
However, this was not enough to allow him to turn the tide against Auger-Aliassime. The latter finished the match with three breaks in 14 opportunities, and he did not concede a single break point to his opponent.
In addition, Serbian Novak Djokovic will meet Italian Lorenzo Musetti in the quarter-finals later today. This confrontation will be followed at the end of the day by that between the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas and the American Tommy Paul.