"Following his triumph against Alex De Minaur, Félix Auger-Aliassime advances to the US Open semifinals once more"
In a closely contested match, Felix Auger-Aliassime secured his spot in the semifinals of the Grand Slam tournament, defeating Alex De Minaur in four sets (4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-5, 7-6 (7-4)).
The Canadian player started the match with 34 direct faults in the first two sets, a far cry from his dominant performances in previous rounds against Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev. The second set tie-break had sparks but the fire never fully ignited between the two players, resulting in a closely fought battle.
De Minaur, ranked 18th in the world, led 4-1 and 5-2 in the fourth set, leaving hope for a fifth set decider. However, Auger-Aliassime saved a set point during the match and capitalised on De Minaur's double-fault at 5-3 in the fourth set, opening the door for his comeback.
The crowd was lulled to sleep during the match due to the low-quality play, with both players struggling to find their rhythm. De Minaur's erratic defense helped him scrape through the first set and much of the second, but Auger-Aliassime's superior play in the latter stages of the match secured him the win.
Auger-Aliassime won the third set after serving at 5-4 and retaking control of the match. The Canadian player has qualified for his second Grand Slam semifinal, four years after his first, which was also at Flushing Meadows. In this semifinal, he will face Jannik Sinner.
De Minaur's performance was unworthy of a top 10 player, with his first serve percentage in the first three sets at just 40%. The Australian had six chances to reach a Grand Slam final but failed, extending his wait for a major title.
Auger-Aliassime has secured the most wins on hard courts this season, according to the ATP Tour rankings (28 wins). His recent semifinal victory against De Minaur marks his third victory against a top 10 player in a Grand Slam, cementing his place among the elite players in the sport.
