By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, February 7, 2026Photo credit score: Julian Finney/Getty
Put a roof over Felix Auger-Aliassime and also you’ll see a champion with a really excessive ceiling.
Defending champion Auger-Aliassime slammed his twentieth ace out large on match level dispatching French qualifier Titouan Droguet 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1 to return to the Montpellier remaining.
It’s the twenty first profession remaining for Auger-Aliassime, who’s second to none indoors this decade.
The highest-seeded Canadian leads all ATP gamers in indoor wins this decade (88), gathering seven titles beneath the roof.
A dynamic Auger-Aliassime dictated play on serve. Auger-Aliassime served 78 p.c, pumped 20 aces in opposition to no double faults and denied all three break factors he confronted in a strong two hour, 27-minute win.
The victory vaults the 2025 US Open semifinal into tomorrow’s Montpellier remaining in opposition to Frenchman Adrian Mannarino.
In right this moment’s opening semifinal conflict of lefties, Mannarino withstood 23 aces from Martin Damm, Jr. in a 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory.
Qualifier Damm had not been broke within the match, together with scoring wins over seventh-seeded Hubert Hurkacz, Roberto Bautista Agut and Luca Nardi. At this time, Mannarino transformed each of his break factors, denying Damm, Jr. the shot to achieve his maiden ATP remaining 30 years after his dad, Martin Damm, Sr., was a finalist in Seoul.
It’s the sixteenth profession remaining for the 37-year-old Mannarino, who erased three match factors defeating one other lefty, compatriot Ugo Humbert, within the second spherical.
Auger-Aliassime, who retired from his Australian Open opener vs. Nuno Borges attributable to cramping, has break up two profession conferences with Mannarino. Auger-Aliassime swept Mannarino, 6-0, 6-4 of their most up-to-date assembly on the 2024 Mutua Madrid Masters on clay.
World No. 8 Auger-Aliassime was heading in the right direction for a straight-sets win right this moment, however Droguet snatched the tiebreaker to drive a remaining set.
Deadlocked at 1-all within the decider, Auger-Aliassime saved two break factors, together with rocketing an ace large on the second break level, sparking a stand that noticed him crack three aces holding for 2-1.
The hard-fought maintain sparked a surge that noticed Auger-Aliassime win the ultimate 5 video games in a row to return to the ultimate.
Final yr, Auger-Aliassime edged American Aleksandar Kovacevic within the Montpellier remaining. Auger-Aliassime, who beat three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka in his opener, will face a French opponent for the third consecutive match.
