Felix Auger Aliassime fended off one set point en route to beating Aljaz Bedene 6-4 7-6 (8-6) after 1 hour and 51 minutes.
The Canadian Next Gen player hit two forehand winners to break Bedene in the 10th game to seal the opening set 6-4. Auger Aliassime won five consecutive games from 4-4 to take a 3-0 lead in the second set with a break in the second game, but Bedene pulled the break back in the fifth game to draw level to 3-3 and held a set point at 6-5 in the tie-break. Auger Aliassime fended off the set point with a forehand.
Auger Aliassime will face Pablo Carreno Busta, who saved two match points to beat Jannik Sinner.
“He did not give me a lot, but I was clutch in the first set to break him at 5-4. Outside of that he did not give me much. We know he can beat some good players, including this week and throughout his career. You know you have got to earn it, but you will get your chances, and I did”, said Auger Aliassime.
Gael Monfils beat Daniel Evans 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 after 1 hour and 52 minutes extending his winning streak to seven matches. Evans earned the first break in the ninth game to take a 5-4 lead, but Monfils broke straight back to set up a tie-break. Monfils raced out to a 4-1 lead, but Evans came back by winning four consecutive points. Monfils earned a mini-break to take a 6-5 lead.
Monfils went up a double break to take a 4-0 lead and closed out the match with his eighth ace.
Monfils set up a semifinal against Serbia’s Filip Krajinovic, who beat Andrey Rublev 7-6 (7-2) 6-4. Both Krajinovic and Rublev traded service holds in the opening set to force a tie-break. Krajinovic reeled off six consecutive points to win the tie-break 7-2. The Serbian player earned an early break in the opening game of the second set, but Rublev broke back in the eighth game with a forehand winner to draw level to 4-4. Krajinovic broke again in the ninth game with a forehand passing shot and served out the win on his first match point after 1 hour and 31 minutes.
