Montreal’s Félix Auger-Aliassime secured a hard-fought victory against France’s Alexandre Muller at the Paris Masters, advancing to the Round of 16. Auger-Aliassime’s powerful serve, with 21 aces and an average speed of 206 kilometres per hour, played a crucial role in his win. Currently ninth-seeded, Auger-Aliassime is aiming to qualify for the year-end ATP Finals in Turin, where the top eight players compete. A significant opportunity arose for him as Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti, ranked eighth, was surprisingly defeated by compatriot Lorenzo Sonego.
Having recently won an ATP 250 event in Belgium, Auger-Aliassime faced a setback in Basel due to a back injury. Despite Muller initially taking the lead, Auger-Aliassime fought back, forcing a tiebreak and ultimately overcoming deficits to clinch the victory. In the upcoming Round of 16, Auger-Aliassime will face Daniel Altmier, against whom he holds a 1-2 career record.
Meanwhile, in another match, Montreal’s Gabriel Diallo faced a tough 7-6 (8), 4-6, 6-3 defeat against sixth-seeded Australian Alex de Minaur. In a separate event, Leylah Fernandez advanced to the quarterfinals of the Hong Kong Open with a dominant 6-4, 6-1 win against Germany’s Eva Lys. Fernandez showcased her prowess by breaking Lys four times and winning 73% of her first-serve points. The victory marked her seventh win in the last eight matches, including a recent triumph at the Japan Open. Fernandez is set to face seventh-seeded Sorana Cirstea in the next round, while Canadian Victoria Mboko, the third seed, will compete against Alexandra Eala of the Philippines.
