Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada progressed to the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters on Thursday, securing a hard-fought victory against Germany’s Daniel Altmaier with a score of 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. The ninth-seeded player from Montreal demonstrated resilience after losing the first set, rallying to win 87 percent of his first-serve points and converting three out of ten break chances throughout the match.
In a performance that lasted two hours and 11 minutes, Auger-Aliassime tallied seven aces alongside three double faults. His previous match, a thrilling marathon against French player Alexandre Muller, concluded with a narrow victory in three sets, where he served 21 aces. Reflecting on his week, Auger-Aliassime acknowledged the challenges faced, stating, “Just fighting back…I just tried to dig deep. I know I have the solutions within myself.”
After adjusting his strategy following a slow start, he managed to pressure Altmaier’s serve and evened their career head-to-head record to 2-2. “I started serving better and better as the match went on,” he explained. Currently ranked ninth in the ATP Race to Turin, Auger-Aliassime is vying for a spot in the prestigious ATP Finals, where only the top eight players qualify.
His total points in the Race to Turin now stand at 3,395, trailing eighth-placed Lorenzo Musetti by 290 points. A victory over Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot in the upcoming quarterfinal would significantly narrow this gap, raising the stakes as the tournament progresses.
Vacherot, who stunned Cameron Norrie of Britain with a 7-6 (4), 6-4 win in the Round of 16, has had a stellar rise, moving up 227 spots in the ATP rankings over the past four months. With a 10-match winning streak at the Masters level and a recent title at the ATP 1000 tournament in Shanghai, he aims to maintain his momentum against Auger-Aliassime.
Meanwhile, Canadian tennis continues to shine as Victoria Mboko reached the quarterfinals of the Hong Kong Open after defeating Alexandra Eala from the Philippines with a score of 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. The 19-year-old showcased her powerful serve, hitting eight aces and breaking Eala five times. Mboko will next face sixth-seeded Anna Kalinskaya of Russia, joining fellow Canadian Leylah Fernandez, who advanced with a dominant 6-4, 6-1 victory over Germany’s Eva Lys.
As the tournaments unfold, Canadian tennis is positioned in an encouraging place, showcasing talented players ready to compete at the highest levels.