Felix Auger-Aliassime Advances to Semi-Finals at Paris Masters

PARIS, France — Felix Auger-Aliassime reached the semi-finals of the Paris Masters on Friday after defeating French wild card Valentin Vacherot 6-2, 6-2. The ninth seed is now just 90 points behind Lorenzo Musetti in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin.

Auger-Aliassime’s victory marked his fourth ATP Masters 1000 semi-final this season. Vacherot, who had previously won 10 consecutive ATP Masters 1000 matches and secured the title in Shanghai, was unable to match Auger-Aliassime’s intensity during their encounter.

<p“It was an interesting challenge coming onto court today and playing a player I knew from practice but had never played in a match. He is so confident, and you are kind of scared to be honest,” Auger-Aliassime said after the match. “But I had to be so focused from the start.”

The 25-year-old Canadian started the match strong, breaking Vacherot’s serve in the opening game. With this win, Auger-Aliassime has now reached 10 tour-level semi-finals this year, winning titles in Adelaide, Montpellier, and Brussels.

In his pursuit of a second appearance at the ATP Finals, Auger-Aliassime must reach the final in Paris to eclipse Musetti’s current standing. He is determined to utilize his recent momentum, stating, “I am trying to win every match I play. Everything counts and adds up in this sport.”

Meanwhile, Vacherot’s impressive run has lifted him to No. 30 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, a significant jump resultant from his quarter-final performance. The other semi-final scheduled for Saturday will feature Alexander Zverev against defending champion Jannik Sinner.