Félix Auger-Aliassime progressed to the semifinals of the Paris Masters tennis tournament, earning valuable points towards qualifying for the upcoming ATP Finals. He secured a 6-2, 6-2 victory over wildcard Valentin Vacherot of Monaco, setting up a clash with 13th-seed Alexander Bublik from Kazakhstan in the next round.
This win brought Auger-Aliassime within 90 points of Lorenzo Musetti in the race for the final spot at the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy. Auger-Aliassime had to overcome tough three-set matches and tiebreaks leading up to the quarterfinals, while Vacherot was on a 10-match winning streak at the ATP 1000 level.
Despite Vacherot’s strong form, Auger-Aliassime, seeded ninth in the tournament, delivered an impressive performance by winning 89% of first-serve points and saving both break points he faced. Auger-Aliassime expressed the challenge of facing Vacherot but credited his focus and intensity for helping him play exceptional tennis.
With a dominant display, Auger-Aliassime limited Vacherot to just 6-of-39 on return points and broke his opponent four times. He now aims for his ninth career title and first at the Masters level.
In the women’s event, Canadian players Victoria Mboko and Leylah Fernandez secured spots in the semifinals of the Hong Kong Open. Fernandez, the No. 2 seed, defeated Sorana Cirstea of Romania 6-4, 6-4, while Mboko, seeded third, advanced with a 6-1, 3-1 walkover against Anna Kalinskaya of Russia. The winner of their semifinal match will face either Cristina Bucsa of Spain or Maya Joint of Australia in the next round.