Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime moved into the final of the Paris Masters tennis tournament after defeating Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan in straight sets on Saturday. Auger-Aliassime, hailing from Montreal, secured a 7-6 (3), 6-4 victory over the 13th-seeded Bublik in the semifinal match.
In the upcoming final on Sunday, Auger-Aliassime will face Italy’s Jannik Sinner, who dominated Germany’s Alexander Zverev with a 6-0, 6-1 win in the later semifinal, positioning himself to potentially regain the world No. 1 ranking.
Having faced each other four times before, Auger-Aliassime and Sinner have a 2-2 head-to-head record, with Sinner claiming victory in their last two encounters, including the semifinals at this year’s U.S. Open. Auger-Aliassime’s semifinal triumph propelled him past Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti into the eighth and final qualifying spot for the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy next month.
Following the Paris Masters, Auger-Aliassime will hold a 90-point advantage over Musetti, heading into the Moselle Open in Metz, France next week, regardless of the final outcome on Sunday. Meanwhile, Musetti is set to compete in Athens in the upcoming week.
Auger-Aliassime, who has already clinched titles in Adelaide, Montpellier, and Brussels this year, is aiming for his ninth career title and his first at the Masters level. The ninth-seeded player in Paris managed to defeat Bublik in 96 minutes on Saturday, expressing his excitement about reaching a Masters 1000 final and his hopes of claiming the title.
During the intense match, Auger-Aliassime made a remarkable comeback from a 4-1 deficit in the second set, showcasing his skills with 31 winners, including 17 on his forehand, and successfully converting three out of four break points. Bublik, despite a strong start in the second set, lost five consecutive games, culminating in him smashing his racket on the ground in frustration.
As Auger-Aliassime served for the match, he demonstrated his prowess with a 12th ace, ultimately securing the victory with a powerful forehand shot, eliciting cheers from the crowd. Reflecting on his performance, Auger-Aliassime emphasized the importance of executing his game plan against top players in the world.