Félix Auger-Aliassime progressed to the Paris Masters tennis tournament semifinals, boosting his chances of qualifying for the ATP Finals. He secured a spot in the final four by defeating Valentin Vacherot of Monaco 6-2, 6-2. In the upcoming match, he will face Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan, the 13th seed.
The victory over Vacherot brought Auger-Aliassime within 90 points of Lorenzo Musetti in the race for the last spot at the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy. Auger-Aliassime had been battling through tough matches, while Vacherot was on a 10-match winning streak at the ATP 1000 level. However, Auger-Aliassime displayed a stellar performance, winning 89% of first-serve points and saving both break points he faced.
Reflecting on his match against Vacherot, Auger-Aliassime acknowledged the challenge but credited his intensity and focus for the win. He limited Vacherot to 6-of-39 on return points and capitalized on his own returns, breaking his opponent four times.
With his eyes set on a ninth career title and his first at the Masters level, Auger-Aliassime will aim to overcome Bublik, who advanced by upsetting sixth-seed Alex de Minaur.
In the women’s division, Canada’s Victoria Mboko and Leylah Fernandez will clash in the Hong Kong Open semifinals after securing victories in the quarterfinals. Fernandez, the second seed, defeated Sorana Cirstea, while Mboko, seeded third, received a walkover against Anna Kalinskaya. The winner of their semifinal will face either Cristina Bucsa of Spain or Maya Joint of Australia.