Open Occitanie Final Preview: Indoor specialist Felix Auger-Aliassime faces surprising Alexander Kovacevic the title
ATP
The finalists for the ATP 250 Open Occitanie have been decided, with Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alexander Kovacevic set to clash in the final this Sunday. Auger-Aliassime showcased his skills on indoor hard courts once again by defeating Jesper de Jong, and now he’ll be looking for his second title of the season against the surprising Alexander Kovacevic, who knocked out top seed Andrey Rublev in the semifinals.
Auger Aliassime vs Kovacevic: Can the surprise challenger overcome the indoor specialist?
The Canadian has breezed through the tournament. He made his debut in the round of 16 after a bye as the second seed. Auger-Aliassime followed up with consecutive wins against Arthur Cazaux (6-4, 7-6), Bu Yunchaokete (6-3, 6-4), and Jesper de Jong (6-4, 7-6), reaching his 10th indoor hardcourt final, more than any other player since 2022.
The world No. 23 has won five of his six titles on this surface, making him the favorite to take home the trophy. This is especially true after he started the year by lifting the Adelaide International trophy just a week before the Australian Open. Without a doubt, Auger-Aliassime is the most experienced player in this final, facing the surprising Alexander Kovacevic.
The American, ranked No. 102, has surged through qualifying, winning six consecutive matches, including victories over defending champion Alexander Bublik and top seed Andrey Rublev, marking his first career win over a top-10 player. Kovacevic kicked off the year with a challenger title in Oeiras just a few weeks ago and has proven he's ready to compete at the top level.
Although the match against Rublev was generally tight, Kovacevic capitalized on the important moments, saving four of the five break points he faced and converting three of the five opportunities he got, ultimately securing the win 7-5, 6-4.
This marks Kovacevic's first ATP-level final at 26 years old. He previously faced Auger-Aliassime back in the 2024 Cincinnati Open, where the Canadian comfortably won 6-3, 6-1. Nonetheless, Kovacevic enters this match with nothing to lose, enjoying the best week of his career and having already secured a ranking boost to No. 75 in the world.
Final bound 🙌@felixtennis puts on a flawless display to defeat de Jong 6-4 7-6 and make a tour-leading second final of the season!@OpenOccitanie pic.twitter.com/ddPw6oOHah
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 1, 2025
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