Montreal’s Felix Auger-Aliassime secured a spot in the semifinals of the European Open tennis tournament in Brussels, Belgium, by defeating American qualifier Eliot Spizzirri with a 6-2, 7-6 (6) victory. Auger-Aliassime sealed the second set tiebreaker with his 11th ace of the match after dominating the first set by breaking Spizzirri’s serve twice without facing any break points himself.
Spizzirri posed a stronger challenge in the second set, even holding two set points in Game 12. However, Auger-Aliassime managed to level the score at 6-6 with a crucial ace. Despite Spizzirri initially leading the tiebreak 5-3, Auger-Aliassime rallied to win four of the next five points, ultimately securing the win.
The 25-year-old Canadian, ranked 13th in the world, will now face Belgian wild card Raphael Collignon in the upcoming semifinal match. In another event, Denis Shapovalov from Richmond Hill, Ont., progressed to the semifinals of the Stockholm Open after defeating Swedish wild card Elias Ymer 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-1. Shapovalov, ranked third in Stockholm, dominated the final set by winning five consecutive games to secure the victory.
Shapovalov, currently ranked 23rd in the world, is set to face second seed Casper Ruud of Norway in the next round. Shapovalov had previously defeated Ruud earlier in the year in the final of the Dallas Open. Meanwhile, at the Japan Women’s Open in Osaka, Leylah Fernandez from Laval, Que., emerged victorious in the semifinals by beating Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 6-1, 2-6, 6-4. Fernandez showcased a strong performance with one ace, 33 winners, and 31 unforced errors during the intense two-hour match.
The Canadian player demonstrated a significant advantage on her first serves and managed to win six out of 12 return games. Fernandez is now set to compete against Tereza Valentova from the Czech Republic in the championship final.