ATP Race to Turin Update: Felix Auger-Aliassime one win away from qualification after reaching Paris Masters final

Felix Auger-Aliassime produced the goods in his Paris Masters semi-final, overcoming Alexander Bublik 7-6(3), 6-4 to move him within one win of qualifying for the ATP Finals for the first time since 2022.

The Canadian has enjoyed previous success in this tournament, most notably winning the men's doubles event back in 2020 with Hubert Hurkacz. He has also improved on his singles semi-final run in 2022 to reach his second Masters 1000 final, and at a crucial time in the race to Turin.

The first set produced no breaks of serve, or even any break points. Both players served well to fend off their opponent with an inevitable tiebreaker eventually being needed to split the pair. After splitting the first four points, Auger-Aliassime sprant away with it, collecting five of the next six points to give himself a set-advantage over his opponent.

There was a plethora of breaks in the second set, with Bublik reacting well to the early setback by going 2-0 ahead. Auger-Aliassime broke instantly back, but the Kazakhstani was able to once again steal a march on the 25-year-old, going 4-1 ahead. The former US Open semi-finalist would then unleash a deadly purple patch which saw him win the remaining five games and dispose of Bublik in a comprehensive manner to confirm a spot in the Paris Masters final, something that he was delighted about.

“I’m so happy. A Masters 1000 final sounds really good,” said Auger-Aliassime after the match. “You don’t play those finals every week. Hopefully I can go all the way and get the title. In terms of today and even the past matches… You get into a Masters, and every match is tough. It’s a 56-draw and it is stacked. You wake up on a day and feel, ‘This guy is playing good, everybody is playing good’. So you’re always curious and bit nervous to see how your game is going to match up. I have deep self confidence in my game. I know what I can do against the best players in the world, but you still have to go and execute. Today I did really well and I’m happy with the result.”

This win has had huge implications for the ATP Finals. Auger-Aliassime has jumped above Lorenzo Musetti who was sitting in the eighth and final spot. The Italian had the chance to qualify for the first time with a few wins in Paris, but he was defeated in his opening clash against fellow Italian Lorenzo Senego in three sets. The last thing he needed was a deep-run from Auger-Aliassime, who is now in pole position for Turin.

The live standings show that the Canadian ahead of Musetti. He sits on 3.845 points while Musetti trails with 3,645. The race could be wrapped up tomorrow if Auger-Aliassime wins the title. If not, it will go on for another week, with just two 250 events left before the climax event of the year. The two-time Grand Slam semi-finalist has recently entered the Hellenic Championship as a wildcard, with Auger-Aliassime competing in the correlating event in Metz. If Auger-Aliassime cannot pick up enough points to confirm his place in the top eight, Musetti will be ready to pounce, with a deep run badly needed for his dreams to stay afloat.

A title in Paris would earn Auger-Aliassime a ticket to Turin, but to do that he will have to have to defeat either four-time Grand Slam champion Jannik Sinner or world number three Alexander Zverev, who are set to clash in the second semi-final matchup in the French capital.