10 January: Canada’s Félix Auger-Aliassime delivered a determined performance on Friday to secure his place in the final of the Adelaide International, overcoming top-seeded American Tommy Paul in a thrilling semifinal clash.
The fifth seed from Montreal clinched a hard-fought victory in three sets, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-4, in a match that lasted two hours and 45 minutes. Auger-Aliassime dominated on his first serve, winning 74% of points compared to Paul’s 69%, marking his second career victory against the 12th-ranked American, with the first coming at Indian Wells in 2023.
Reflecting on the match, Auger-Aliassime said, “It was a battle. It was about physical effort, mental effort, because it was a match with lots of ups and downs. I feel like it was not the best level from both players, but sometimes matches are like this. You have to battle with what you have and find a way through, and I’m really happy I did today.”
Auger-Aliassime will now face No. 2 seed Sebastian Korda of the United States in Saturday’s final as he aims to capture his sixth ATP Tour title and his first since 2023. Ranked 29th in the world, the Canadian sees the Adelaide International as a vital warm-up for the upcoming Australian Open, where he is set to face Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff in the first round.
