Montreal’s Felix Auger-Aliassime secured a spot in the semifinals of the European Open tennis tournament by defeating American qualifier Eliot Spizzirri 6-2, 7-6 (6) in Brussels, Belgium. Auger-Aliassime sealed the second set with his 11th ace of the game after dominating the first set, breaking Spizzirri’s serve twice without facing any break points.
Despite facing a tougher challenge in the second set, Spizzirri managed to hold two set points in Game 12 before Auger-Aliassime leveled the score at 6-6 with a crucial ace. Although Spizzirri initially led the tiebreak 5-3, Auger-Aliassime rallied to win four of the next five points, securing his spot in the semifinals.
The 25-year-old Canadian, seeded second in the tournament and ranked 13th in the world, is set to face Belgian wildcard Raphael Collignon in the next round.
In another match on Friday, Denis Shapovalov from Richmond Hill, Ont., advanced to the semifinals of the Stockholm Open by defeating Swedish wildcard Elias Ymer 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-1. Shapovalov, ranked third in Stockholm, dominated the final set by winning five consecutive games to secure the victory.
The world No. 23 will now go up against second seed Casper Ruud of Norway. Shapovalov, 26, previously defeated Ruud in the final of the Dallas Open earlier this year.
Meanwhile, at the Japan Women’s Open in Osaka, Leylah Fernandez from Laval, Que., triumphed over Romania’s Sorana Cirstea in the semifinals with a score of 6-1, 2-6, 6-4. Fernandez showcased an impressive performance with one ace, 33 winners, and 31 unforced errors during the nearly two-hour match.
With a strong advantage on first serves and winning six out of 12 return games, Fernandez is now set to face Tereza Valentova from the Czech Republic in the championship final.