Photo: ATP Tour
Félix Auger-Aliassime is playing tennis on a whole other level right now. He proved it once again on Saturday in the semifinals of the Swiss Indoors because not even the World No. 1 could stop him from securing his 12th consecutive win to reach his third straight final at the ATP 500 tournament in Basel, Switzerland.
In fact, Carlos Alcaraz was no match for the 22-year-old Canadian on this day as Auger-Aliassime cruised to a 6-3, 6-2 victory, his third straight win over the Spaniard after also getting the better of him at Davis Cup last month and at the U.S. Open last year.
Early on in the opening set, Auger-Aliassime was unable to convert 3 break point chances but would not be discouraged and continued to apply relentless pressure on his opponent in every facet of the game. He broke at love in the eighth game and then comfortably served out the set. Alcaraz hit just one winner in the opening frame and with Auger-Aliassime most of the points, he often found himself in a defensive position and could only try to react to what was being thrown his way.
It was more of the same in the second set. From 0-1, Auger-Aliassime won eight consecutive points and broke for a second time at love thanks to a brilliant returning display in the third game. He continued playing lights-out tennis until the match’s conclusion, which left Alcaraz searching for answers that he couldn’t find. Auger-Aliassime never flinched on the big, important points, which has become a trademark of his during this impressive win streak. He saved the only break point he’s faced all week while serving for the match and proceeded to claim the win after 82 minutes of play.
“So far it has been very close to perfect [in Basel]”, said Auger-Aliassime after the match. “I’ve been serving amazing, not getting broken once yet. There’s still one match to go, but it’s been a fantastic week, [I have] played some great tennis, and again today against the best player in the world. It’s an amazing win, so I’m really happy with my level and hopefully, I can go all the way.”
Auger-Aliassime will look to win his third consecutive title on final Sunday against either Roberto Bautista Agut or Holger Rune. Prior to coming to Basel, he was crowned champion in Florence and Antwerp.
