Félix Auger-Aliassime rides tennis hat-trick onto world stage

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October was Félix Auger-Aliassime’s most efficient on the ATP Tour.

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November might be his most momentous.

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The 22-year-old Montrealer defeated Denmark’s Holger Rune 6-3, 7-5 Sunday within the last of the Swiss Indoors Basel occasion. He additionally gained two straight titles in Florence, Italy, and Antwerp, Belgium, to affix Andy Murray and Casper Ruud as the one gamers to win three consecutive titles on the ATP Tour.

Auger-Aliassime will take a 13-match win streak into Paris this week for the 12 months’s last ATP Masters 1000 occasion. Then it’s on to Turin, Italy, for the eight- man ATP Finals and he’ll end the month representing Canada within the Davis Cup finals in Malaga, Spain.

Making his first look within the ATP Finals was Auger-Aliassime’s aim this 12 months and he all however wrapped up a spot his win in Basel. He moved into sixth place on the qualifying listing and, with Serbia’s Novak Djokovic incomes a wild-card as a Grand Slam champion, the one means Auger-Aliassime may be bumped is that if Taylor Fritz of the U.S. or Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz win in Paris.

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“It’s been a tremendous week,” mentioned Auger-Aliassime, who trounced world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz 6-3, 6-2 within the semifinals.

“As soon as once more within the last, not getting damaged all week. (It’s been) an extended 12 months, an extended stretch of wins, and it’s not over,” mentioned Auger-Aliassime Sunday. “So hopefully I can hold going, however proper now I’m feeling all the nice feelings that include successful a event. It’s superb. I don’t normally react that a lot, however it was a very real response on the finish, with the quantity of rigidity in that final sport. I’m over the moon.”

The Canadian mentioned he was significantly glad to get his third consecutive win at a event that his boyhood idol, Roger Federer, gained 10 instances.

“It’s actually cool,” mentioned Auger-Aliassime. “I truly thought of him this morning, and thought how cool it might be if I win right here, the place he gained 10 instances. I’m very removed from that, however it’s so cool to have my title with all these nice champions at this prestigious event.”

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Canada, which acquired a wild-card into the primary section of the Davis Cup finals after defending champion Russia was tossed out over its invasion of Ukraine, needs to be considered one of many favourites in Malaga.

Auger-Aliassime, who’s No. 8 within the ATP rankings, and No. 16 Denis Shapovalov are on board for the primary time since 2019, when Canada misplaced to host Spain within the last at Madrid. One other Canada-Spain last is a definite chance. Shapovalov made waves of his personal final week, reaching the ultimate in Vienna, the place he misplaced to Russian Daniil Medvedev in three units.

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Within the first spherical, Canada will play a German staff that’s lacking the injured Alexander Zverev and doesn’t have a participant within the high 50.

Canada would face the winner of the U.S.-Italy semifinal. Italy has a succesful hard-court participant in Jannik Sinner (world No. 12) however Matteo Berrettini (15) and Lorenzo Musetti (23) are extra snug on slower surfaces. The U.S. is led by Fritz (11) and Frances Tiafoe (21).

Rafael Nadal, who’s No. 2 within the ATP rankings, determined to not play Davis Cup, however Spain is favoured to return out of the underside of the draw with Alcaraz, Pablo Carreno Busta (14) and Roberto Bautista Agut (20) having fun with a home-court benefit. The important thing to a Canada-Spain last might be the matchup between Auger-Aliassime and Alcaraz and the Canadian has a 3-0 profession edge over the Spaniard, together with a win final month within the preliminary stage of the Davis Cup finals in Seville, Spain.

phickey@postmedia.com

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