Felix Auger-Aliassime beats Valentin Vacherot to reach Paris Masters semis, eyes Turin spot

Felix Auger-Aliassime delivered a dominant performance at the Rolex Paris Masters on Friday, defeating French wild card Valentin Vacherot 6-2, 6-2 to advance to the semi-finals. This straight-sets victory narrows the Canadian's gap in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin, putting him just 145 points behind Lorenzo Musetti and inching closer to a coveted Nitto ATP Finals berth.

The ninth-seeded Auger-Aliassime showcased his powerful baseline game, overwhelming Vacherot from the outset. He broke serve in the opening game and never looked back, firing 22 winners while committing only 10 unforced errors. This marks his fourth ATP Masters 1000 semi-final appearance and his 10th tour-level semi-final of the season.

“Every opponent is different. It was an interesting challenge coming onto the 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.

"You are not sure if he has got some magic right now that nobody else has, but he is playing unbelievably. But I had to be so focused from the start, and this level of intensity from the first game I brought helped ease me into the match, and I played some good tennis.”

Unlike his earlier rounds in Paris, where he rallied from a set down in each of his first three matches, Auger-Aliassime controlled this quarter-final from the start.

Next up is a semi-final showdown against either Alex de Minaur or Alexander Bublik. The eight-time tour-level champion remains laser-focused on every opportunity.

“I am trying to win every match I play,” Auger-Aliassime added. “Whether it is the end of the year or the start of the year, everything counts and adds up in this sport. I think the work I put in, the routines. I try to be consistent with my work and try to bring consistency with everything I do, and it is very gratifying when you get the consistency with your results.”