Montreal’s Félix Auger-Aliassime secured a spot in the ATP Finals semifinals for the first time by defeating Germany’s Alexander Zverev 6-4, 7-6 (4) on Friday. The 25-year-old finished second in the Bjorn Borg Group with a 2-1 record and will face world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in the next round.

Auger-Aliassime, seeded eighth in Turin, managed to break Zverev in the final game of the first set. Zverev missed four break point opportunities and committed 18 unforced errors in the second set, showing visible frustration towards his team. In the tiebreaker, Zverev’s error handed two match points to Auger-Aliassime, who capitalized on the opportunity to secure the win.

Reflecting on the match, Auger-Aliassime acknowledged the tense moments but emphasized his focus on the present. He expressed satisfaction with his performance and the tight tiebreaker that ensued. Auger-Aliassime’s victory improved his head-to-head record against Zverev to 4-6, winning both encounters this year.

Zverev, a two-time ATP Finals champion, dropped to a 1-2 record and was eliminated from the group alongside American Ben Shelton (0-3). On the other hand, defending champion Jannik Sinner of Italy remained unbeaten to clinch the top spot in the group and will face Alex de Minaur of Australia in the semifinals.

Looking ahead to his match against Alcaraz, Auger-Aliassime highlighted the significance of the tournament and expressed readiness to face a formidable opponent. Alcaraz, who topped the Jimmy Connors group, secured the No. 1 ranking on the ATP Tour for the season. Auger-Aliassime, in his second ATP Finals appearance, is determined to make a mark after overcoming early challenges in the tournament.