Montreal’s Félix Auger-Aliassime secured a hard-fought victory over France’s Alexandre Muller in the Round of 16 at the Paris Masters. Auger-Aliassime’s dominant serve, which included 21 aces and an average speed of 206 kilometers per hour, played a crucial role in his win. Currently ranked ninth, Auger-Aliassime is aiming for a strong performance at the ATP 1000 event to close the gap with eighth-placed Lorenzo Musetti in the ATP Race To Turin standings. Musetti’s surprising defeat by Lorenzo Sonego provided Auger-Aliassime with an opportunity to advance.
Having recently won an ATP 250 event in Belgium, Auger-Aliassime faced a setback in Basel due to a back injury. In a closely contested match, Muller took the first set with a break, but Auger-Aliassime fought back, forcing a tiebreak and overcoming deficits to clinch the victory.
Auger-Aliassime’s next challenge will be against Daniel Altmier, a player he has a 1-2 record against. Known for his prowess in tiebreaks, Auger-Aliassime has been successful in these pressure situations, boasting a tiebreak winning percentage of 69.2%.
In a separate match, Montreal’s Gabriel Diallo was defeated by sixth-seeded Australian Alex de Minaur in a closely contested encounter. Meanwhile, Leylah Fernandez advanced to the quarterfinals of the Hong Kong Open with a commanding win over Germany’s Eva Lys, showcasing her strong serve and consistent performance. Fernandez, who has been in excellent form, will face Sorana Cirstea in the next round. Another Canadian player, Victoria Mboko, seeded third, is set to compete against Alexandra Eala from the Philippines in the upcoming matches.