Montreal’s Félix Auger-Aliassime secured a spot in the ATP Finals semifinals for the first time in his career after defeating Germany’s Alexander Zverev 6-4, 7-6 (4) on Friday. The 25-year-old improved his round-robin record to 2-1, finishing second in the Bjorn Borg Group. He is set to compete against world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in the semifinals.
Auger-Aliassime, seeded eighth in Turin, clinched the decisive break in the final game of the first set. Zverev missed all four of his break point chances and committed 18 unforced errors in the second set. The German displayed signs of frustration towards his team during the match.
In the tiebreaker, Zverev’s error gifted Auger-Aliassime two match points, with the Canadian capitalizing on the opportunity. Auger-Aliassime expressed satisfaction with his performance, highlighting his strong serves and ability to handle pressure in critical moments.
Having now climbed to No. 5 in the ATP Live Rankings, Auger-Aliassime has a 4-6 record against Zverev, winning both encounters this year. Zverev, a two-time ATP Finals winner, suffered a 1-2 record and failed to progress from the group stage alongside American Ben Shelton (0-3).
Defending champion and world No. 2 Jannik Sinner of Italy emerged undefeated in his group matches, securing a spot in the semifinals against No. 7 Alex de Minaur of Australia. Sinner defeated Shelton 6-3, 7-6 (3) in his latest match.
Looking ahead to his semifinal clash with Alcaraz, Auger-Aliassime acknowledged the significance of the tournament and the caliber of competition. Alcaraz, who dominated the Jimmy Connors group with a flawless record, is set to finish the season as the ATP Tour’s top-ranked player.
This marks Auger-Aliassime’s second appearance at the ATP Finals, following his 2022 debut where he claimed a notable victory over Rafael Nadal but fell short of advancing past the group stage. Despite facing an early setback this year, Auger-Aliassime recovered impressively, setting the stage for his current semifinal opportunity.