Auger-Aliassime advances to US Open semifinals after unpredictable match against De Minaur
Félix Auger-Aliassime is back in the final four of the US Open, four years after his last appearance. The Canadian defeated Alex de Minaur (4-6, 7-6, 7-5, 7-6) in a match where both players were not at their best.
Plagued by nerves, De Minaur may regret his poor performance. The world No. 8, appearing in a Grand Slam quarterfinal for the sixth time in his career, had a great opportunity to finally advance past this stage of the competition.
Although he won the first set thanks to a break in the seventh game, the Australian struggled on his serve, landing only 42% of his first serves throughout the match. Despite being very shaky, he had two set points for a two-set lead in the tiebreak of the second set.
Once his chance slipped away, De Minaur found himself trailing on the scoreboard in a match where he was never able to break free. Even a 5-2 lead in the fourth set was not enough for the Sydney native, as his opponent fought back to win the set and ultimately close out the quarterfinal after 4 hours and 9 minutes of play.
Less brilliant than in his previous two matches against Zverev and Rublev, Auger-Aliassime managed the mental battle better on Arthur Ashe Court.
His 51 winners and 22 aces helped him secure his second semifinal appearance at Flushing Meadows, where he will face either defending champion Jannik Sinner or Lorenzo Musetti.
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