Montreal’s Félix Auger-Aliassime secured a spot in the ATP Finals semifinals for the first time in his career by defeating Germany’s Alexander Zverev 6-4, 7-6 (4) on Friday. Auger-Aliassime, aged 25, finished second in the Bjorn Borg Group with a 2-1 record and will go head-to-head against world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in the semifinals on Saturday.
The Montreal native, seeded eighth in Turin, clinched the crucial break in the final game of the first set. Zverev missed all four of his break point opportunities and committed 18 unforced errors in the second set. Auger-Aliassime capitalized on the opportunity, winning the tiebreaker as Zverev made a crucial forehand error.
Reflecting on the match, Auger-Aliassime expressed satisfaction with his performance, highlighting his strong serving and ability to handle pressure. He has now climbed to No. 5 in the ATP Live Rankings. In their head-to-head record, Auger-Aliassime holds a 4-6 advantage over Zverev, winning both encounters this year.
Meanwhile, defending champion Jannik Sinner of Italy maintained a perfect record to top his group and will face Australia’s Alex de Minaur in the other semifinal match. Alcaraz, who secured the top spot in his group, is set to finish the season as the ATP Tour’s No. 1 ranked player.
Looking ahead to his semifinal clash with Alcaraz, Auger-Aliassime acknowledged the tournament’s significance and the caliber of competition. Despite Alcaraz’s recent dominance in their matchups, Auger-Aliassime remains determined to seize any opportunities that come his way.
This marks Auger-Aliassime’s second appearance at the ATP Finals after a noteworthy upset against Rafael Nadal in 2022. Following an early setback in this year’s tournament, Auger-Aliassime displayed resilience by overcoming challenges to secure his spot in the semifinals.