Canadian tennis player Felix Auger-Aliassime secured a spot in the final of the Paris Masters tournament by defeating Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan in straight sets on Saturday. Auger-Aliassime, hailing from Montreal, emerged victorious with a 7-6 (3), 6-4 win over the 13th-seeded Bublik in the semifinals.
In the upcoming final on Sunday, Auger-Aliassime will face off against Italy’s Jannik Sinner, who dominated Germany’s Alexander Zverev with a 6-0, 6-1 win in the later semifinal match. Sinner’s victory puts him in contention to reclaim the world No. 1 ranking.
The head-to-head record between Auger-Aliassime and Sinner stands at 2-2, with Sinner winning their last two encounters, including a match in this year’s U.S. Open semifinals. Following his semifinal triumph, Auger-Aliassime surpassed Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti to secure the eighth and final qualifying spot for the ATP Finals next month in Turin, Italy.
Regardless of the final outcome on Sunday, Auger-Aliassime will carry a 90-point lead over Musetti into the upcoming Moselle Open in Metz, France next week, where Musetti is set to compete in Athens. Auger-Aliassime has previously claimed titles this year in Adelaide, Montpellier, and Brussels, and is aiming for his ninth career title and first at the Masters level.
During the match, the ninth-seeded Auger-Aliassime defeated Bublik in 96 minutes on Saturday, making his way to the Masters 1000 final. Expressing his excitement, Auger-Aliassime stated, “A Masters 1000 final sounds really good. You don’t play those finals every week. Hopefully, I can go all the way and get the title.”
Auger-Aliassime staged a strong comeback from a 4-1 deficit in the second set, unleashing 31 winners, including 17 on his forehand, and successfully converting three out of four break points earned. Bublik, who started the set strongly, faltered towards the end, losing five consecutive games and smashing his racket in frustration.
Serving for the match, Auger-Aliassime kicked off with his 12th ace, eventually securing the victory with a powerful forehand shot. Celebrating the win, Auger-Aliassime acknowledged his capabilities, stating, “I know what I can do against the best players in the world, but you still have to go and execute.”