auger-aliassime

Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime advanced to the Paris Masters tennis tournament final with a straight-sets win over Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan on Saturday.

Montreal’s Auger-Aliassime prevailed 7-6 (3), 6-4 in the semifinal over the 13th-seeded Bublik.

The Canadian awaited the winner of a later semifinal between second seed Jannik Sinner of Italy and third seed Alexander Zverev of Germany to know his Sunday opponent.

With the semifinal win, Auger-Aliassime leapfrogged Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti into the eighth and final qualification spot for the ATP finals next month in Turin, Italy. 

Regardless of Sunday’s outcome, Auger-Aliassime would take a 90-point lead over Musetti into next week’s Moselle Open in Metz, France. Musetti plays next week in Athens.

Auger-Aliassime has won titles this year in Adelaide, Montpellier and Brussels. The 25-year-old is trying for his ninth career title and first at the Masters level. 

The ninth seed in Paris ousted Bublik in 96 minutes Saturday.

“A Masters 1000 final sounds really good,” Auger-Aliassime said a La Défense Arena. “You don’t play those finals every week. Hopefully, I can go all the way and get the title.”

Auger-Aliassime fought back from a 4-1 deficit in Saturday’s second set. He hit 31 winners in the match, including 17 on his forehand, and converted three of four break points he earned.

Bublik started the second set strongly but ended it by losing five consecutive games, smashing his racket on the ground after one of them.

Serving for the match, Auger-Aliassime began with his 12th ace. A forehand winner at the net gave him a first match point and he clinched it with another big forehand. Auger-Aliassime patted his heart and waved to the crowd.

“I know what I can do against the best players in the world, but you still have to go and execute,” he said.

– With files from The Associated Press