Félix Auger-Aliassime is on the verge of creating Canadian tennis history, and he has the chance to do so in Montpellier.
The Canadian No. 1 will contest for a ninth ATP title after defeating Frenchman Titouan Droguet 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1 in the Open Occitanie semifinal on Saturday. If Auger-Aliassime can defend his trophy, he will break the Canadian tour-level singles title record.
It was a serving battle between the Montpellier semifinalists but the Canuck came out the better of the two, winning 81 per cent of his first-serve points and saving all three break points he faced. Auger-Aliassime’s return game was equally as good, piling the pressure with ten break points and converting on seven.
Auger-Aliassime countered the Frenchman’s big serve with some excellent returning right out of the gate, sending each of Droguet’s opening two service games to deuce. The Canadian wore down the French qualifier at 1-1, holding five break points in the near 16-minute game but was unable to score the break. However, in the fifth game, Auger-Aliassime was rewarded on a lucky seventh break point to grab a 3-2 advantage.
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The Montrealer breezed through his service games, getting all but three of his first serves in play throughout the opening set and winning 76 per cent of points on that first delivery as he held the rest of the way to take the opener 6-4.
Roles were reversed to start off the second. After a comfortable opening hold, Droguet put some pressure on Auger-Aliassime at 0-1, 30-40, but the Canuck served well to remain even.
Droguet didn’t concede a point on his first delivery until his fifth service game at 4-4, needing to fend off a break point after Auger-Aliassime produced a brilliant return winner at 30-all to put the pressure on the Frenchman, who eventually secured the vital hold.
Both players’ impressive tiebreaker records were later put to the test to decide the second.
Auger-Aliassime had the best tiebreak win percentage last season, while Droguet entered without a loss in eight tiebreaks so far this year, playing in five in Montpellier alone. It was the Frenchman who struck first, earning the first mini-break at 3-3, but the Canuck quickly broke back to stay level.
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At 5-5, Auger-Aliassime went on the attack, however, Droguet produced an inch-perfect lob that clipped the baseline and the world No. 150 then sealed the set with his ninth ace of the second.
In the third, Droguet nearly added to the noise on Court Patrice Dominguez while in a favourable spot at 1-1, 15-40. Auger-Aliassime managed to save both and was finally able to string together consecutive points after deuce four.
The world No. 8 soon silenced the French faithful, securing his first break since the opening set and coupling it with an easy hold to take control of the decider, up 4-1.
A second-straight break for Auger-Aliassime allowed him to serve for the match in the seventh game. At 5-1, 40-love, the defending champion made it back-to-back finals in Montpellier, capping off the win with his 20th ace of the evening.
Auger-Aliassime will have to face yet another crowd favourite, after defeating Arthur Fils in the quarters, as he takes on world No. 70 Adrian Mannarino in Sunday’s final.
Feature Photo: ATP Tour
