Felix Auger-Aliassime continues to make great strides on his beloved indoor courts and on Friday in Turin the 25-year-old continued his excellent form and extended his season in the process.
Auger-Aliassime beat Alexander Zverev 6-4, 7-6(4) to reach the last four at an ATP finals for the first time and set up a Saturday clash with Carlos Alcaraz.
“I think this tournament has a very high value for the players,” Auger-Aliassime said. “You compete all year and this is the grand final. Anyone who wins this tournament, when you look at the list of champions, is almost No. 1 in the world.
“You want to be in that position, you want to be in the final, but I’m going to have to go through a big player to do that. A lot of respect for (Alcaraz), but I’ll take my chances if I get them.”
The Montreal player became the second Canadian to reach the semifinals in ATP Finals history and the first since Milos Raonic in 2016 with his win. He also jumped to a career-high ranking of No. 5 in the ATP Live Rankings as a result of his fourth career win over Zverev, and second in the last four months (also at the US Open, in four sets).
After nine straight serves, it would be an easy break from Zverev that led to a quick end to the first set. The German, to his credit, fought back from a 0-40 hole in the tenth game, but he crawled to the next point, which would ultimately be his undoing.
“One player was playing to win and one player was playing not to lose,” said Colin Fleming, who was commentating the match for the ATP World Feed field.
Auger-Aliassime took the gift of a failed volley from Zverev and converted his fourth point of the set with a wicked forehand winner to seal the opening stanza on 51 minutes.
“I think it was a great first set,” Auger-Aliassime said. “I thought he was getting a few chances, but I was serving well every time to save them.”
Zverev looked at his box as if to say; what the hell happened? It was a tough pill to swallow for Zverev, who had earlier won the only two break points of the set and made four quick saves to start the match, dropping just three points on serve before taking the points at 4-5.
Auger-Aliassime started menacingly in his box, a deliberate look in his eyes.
The second set was even closer than the first, but with the same man coming out.
Five break points went to claimers – three for Auger-Aliassime, two for Zverev – in a three-game span that left the pair on serve at 3-2, and they stayed that way until the tiebreak.
Again it was Auger-Aliassime who delivered the goods to close out the 75-minute second set with a strong push that takes his record to 20-3 in ties since early August.
“Luckily it was tense for both of us,” Auger-Aliassime said. “I was still able to hold serve and in the tiebreak it was close all the way.”
Auger-Aliassime leads the ATP Tour in indoor wins this decade with 84, with seven of his eight ATP titles coming indoors. He is 17-4 overall indoors in 2025.
The semi-finals are set for Saturday in Turin, with defending champion Jannik Sinner facing Alex de Minaur in the other semi.
