Auger-Aliassime and Griekspoor Set for Mallorca Semifinal Showdown

Santa Ponsa, Spain — Three of the top four seeds in the Mallorca Championships have advanced to the semifinals, setting the stage for an exciting matchup between No. 2 Felix Auger-Aliassime and No. 4 Tallon Griekspoor on Friday.

This will be the third encounter between Auger-Aliassime and Griekspoor, with the Canadian winning both previous matches. The first was at the 2018 U.S. Open qualifying, where he triumphed 7-5, 6-3, followed by a 7-6(2), 7-6(5) victory on grass in ‘s-Hertogenbosch in 2022.

However, Auger-Aliassime’s career trajectory has not been as stellar since their last meeting, while Griekspoor has shown significant improvement. The Dutchman could surpass Auger-Aliassime in the rankings next week if he wins the Mallorca title.

Griekspoor advanced to the semifinals with straight-set wins over Ethan Quinn and Gabriel Diallo, displaying solid play without facing any tiebreakers. In contrast, Auger-Aliassime reached this stage after defeating Arthur Rinderknech and Hamad Medjedovic, dropping one set during the latter match.

Auger-Aliassime, ranked No. 27 in the world, has not competed in a grass-court final since 2021. As he prepares for this important match, he faces a formidable opponent in Griekspoor, who, while perhaps less talented, is playing with consistency.

In another semifinal, No. 3 seed Alex Michelsen will face Corentin Moutet. Michelsen, 20, has already accumulated 20 grass-court victories, including two runs to finals in Newport. His recent wins include triumphs over Brandon Holt and Roberto Bautista Agut, propelling him into another semifinal.

In their first encounter, Moutet defeated Michelsen 6-1, 6-3 last spring, but the conditions this time favor Michelsen’s powerful game.

As the tournament progresses, expectations are high for both semifinals, with the winners advancing to the championship round.