Félix Auger-Aliassime secured a spot in the Paris Masters tennis tournament semifinals, gaining valuable points towards qualifying for the ATP Finals. He advanced by defeating wildcard Valentin Vacherot of Monaco 6-2, 6-2 and is set to face 13th-seed Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan in the next round.
The victory brought Auger-Aliassime within 90 points of Lorenzo Musetti in the ATP Finals qualification race. Auger-Aliassime’s strong performance in the quarterfinals contrasted with Vacherot’s 10-match winning streak at the ATP 1000 level, including a recent Masters-level win in Shanghai.
Auger-Aliassime showcased exceptional form, winning 89% of first-serve points and saving both break points against him. He expressed the challenge of facing a confident opponent like Vacherot but credited his focus and intensity for propelling him to victory.
Looking ahead, Auger-Aliassime aims for his ninth career title and first at the Masters level. Meanwhile, Alexander Bublik, who advanced by upsetting sixth-seed Alex de Minaur, will be a formidable opponent with whom Auger-Aliassime has a 3-2 head-to-head record.
In the women’s competition, Canadians Victoria Mboko and Leylah Fernandez will meet in the Hong Kong Open semifinals after triumphing in their respective quarterfinal matches. Fernandez, the No. 2 seed, overcame Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 6-4, while Mboko, seeded third, advanced due to a walkover against Russian Anna Kalinskaya.
The winner of the Mboko-Fernandez clash will face either Spain’s Cristina Bucsa or Australia’s Maya Joint in the final. Both Mboko and Fernandez are ranked 21st and 22nd, respectively, on the women’s circuit.
