ATP Tour

Auger-Aliassime's Paris pattern: A clutch comeback & onwards in late bid for Turin!

If Felix Auger-Aliassime can go on to secure a spot at the 2025 Nitto ATP Finals, he will have done it the hard way.

Needing a third-round victory on Thursday at the Rolex Paris Masters to keep his hopes of qualifying for the prestigious season finale in Turin alive, the ninth-seeded Canadian overcame Daniel Altmaier 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. It was the third time in as many matches in Paris this week that Auger-Aliassime has rallied from a set down to advance.

Into the quarter-finals 🗣️@felixtennis comes from a set down to defeat Altmaier 3-6 6-3 6-3! @RolexPMasters | #RolexParisMasters pic.twitter.com/HgT89brssC

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 30, 2025

“Three sets all week. It’s been a struggle all week,” reflected Auger-Aliassime. “Just fighting back, I feel like every day. That’s why I came in today knowing it might be tough again. Just stay calm, stay patient, and try to find solutions. I tried to dig deep. I know I have solutions within myself, but it’s just about making the right choices and executing right.

“I started serving better and better as the match went on. I was struggling with his change of pace on the serve… It was just a bit of a mix up in my mind, where to return. I found a way to pressure him and broke him three times in the rest of the match.”

Perhaps feeling the effects of his bruising opening wins against Francisco Comesana and Alexandre Muller, Auger-Aliassime was sluggish in the opening stages of his clash with Altmaier at La Défense Arena. Yet he showed no visible signs of panic and delivered a rock-solid performance in the second and third sets to set a quarter-final showdown with Shanghai champion Valentin Vacherot.

With his Tour-leading 81st victory indoors this decade, Auger-Aliassime moved to within 290 points of eighth-placed Lorenzo Musetti in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. The Canadian can leapfrog Musetti this week by reaching the final in Paris.

Watch Auger-Aliassime's Stunning Backhand Late In Altmaier Clash:

Auger-Aliassime was aggressive on serve throughout against Altmaier, and he finished having won 87 per cent (39/45) of points behind his first delivery, according to Infosys ATP Stats. His frequent forays forwards on a relatively slow Paris court also proved crucial: The eight-time ATP Tour champion won 20 of 25 points at the net.

Now into the quarter-finals for the sixth consecutive tour-level event, Auger-Aliassime will now prepare for a maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Vacherot, who earlier downed Carlos Alcaraz’s conqueror Cameron Norrie 7-6(4), 6-4. The Monegasque breakout star has now won 10 consecutive ATP Masters 1000 matches, and he is up to 10 spots to No. 30 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings as a result of his Paris run so far.

There is now just one open spot remaining in the Nitto ATP Finals lineup after Ben Shelton secured his debut at the prestigious season finale and was promptly joined by Alex de Minaur in qualifying for Turin.

Shelton downed Andrey Rublev 7-6(6), 6-3 to book his quarter-final spot in Paris. The highlight of the American lefty's impressive win was the searing last-gasp forehand he produced to clinch the opening set on Court 1. Now 40-20 for the season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, Shelton will take on second seed Jannik Sinner or Francisco Cerundolo in the last eight.

Watch Shelton's Set-point Scorcher In Paris:

De Minaur raced past former Paris champion Karen Khachanov 6-2, 6-2 to ensure he will compete in Turin for the second consecutive year. The Australian notched his Tour-leading 42nd hard-court victory of the season to reach his eighth Masters 1000 quarter-final.

A meeting with Alexander Bublik will be De MInaur’s next assignment in Paris. The Kazakhstani kept his own outside Nitto ATP Finals qualification hopes alive by upsetting Taylor Fritz 7-6(5), 6-2.