Montreal’s Félix Auger-Aliassime secured a hard-fought victory over France’s Alexandre Muller at the Paris Masters, advancing to the Round of 16 in a tense 5-7, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) match. Auger-Aliassime’s strong serve, with 21 aces and an average first-serve speed of 206 km/h, proved crucial in his win. Currently ninth in the ATP Race To Turin standings, Auger-Aliassime needs a deep run in the ATP 1000 event to close the gap on Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti, who holds the eighth spot. Musetti’s upset loss to Lorenzo Sonego was a fortunate turn for Auger-Aliassime, who recently won an ATP 250 event in Belgium but faced setbacks due to a back injury in a previous tournament.
In a back-and-forth match, Muller initially took the lead with a break but Auger-Aliassime fought back, eventually forcing a tiebreak. Overcoming deficits in the tiebreak, Auger-Aliassime clinched the victory with a resilient performance. Moving forward, he is set to face Daniel Altmier in the Round of 16, aiming to improve his 1-2 career record against the German.
In another match, Montreal’s Gabriel Diallo faced a tough loss to sixth-seeded Australian Alex de Minaur after a closely contested battle. Meanwhile, Leylah Fernandez advanced to the quarterfinals of the Hong Kong Open with a commanding 6-4, 6-1 victory over Germany’s Eva Lys. Fernandez showcased her dominance by winning 73% of her first-serve points and breaking Lys four times in the match. With a string of recent victories, including a title at the Japan Open, Fernandez is set to take on seventh-seeded Sorana Cirstea in the next round. Victoria Mboko, another Canadian contender, is scheduled to compete against Alexandra Eala of the Philippines in the upcoming matches.