By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday February 12, 2022
Felix Auger-Aliassime stormed back to defeat Andrey Rublev to book a final clash with Stefanos Tsitsipas at Rotterdam.
Photo Source: Getty
Will the ninth time be a charm for Felix Auger-Aliassime? That’s the question on the tip of the tennis world’s tongue after the Canadian rallied past defending champion Andrey Rublev 6-7 (5) 6-4, 6-2 in two hours and 21 minutes to reach the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament final in Rotterdam.
Auger-Aliassime has been here before, both in Rotterdam and beyond, without success. The Canadian holds an 0-8 lifetime record in ATP Finals, including at Rotterdam in 2020 when he was dispatched by Gael Monfils, 6-2, 6-4 in the title round.
Auger-Aliassime is one of just two men in the ATP’s Open Era to have played eight or more finals without a victory. France’s Julien Benneteau, who went 0-10 in finals over the course of his career is the other.
Pat DuPré of the United States and Cédric Pioline of France each needed 10 finals to win his first title.
The 21-year-old Canadian has certainly had his issues in finals – he has not won a single of the sixteen sets he has played in finals, and only on three occasions has he forced a tiebreaker. In 10 of the 16 sets he has played in his previous eight finals, he has won three or fewer games.
Many believe that the Canadian is ready to turn a corner after his victory in the ATP Cup final earlier this season, which saw him deliver a pressure-packed 7-6(3), 6-3 victory over Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain to help Canada to a dream title in Sydney, and judging from the way he battled past Rublev on Saturday, all signs to point to a strong performance tomorrow – if he has energy left in the tank.
Auger-Aliassime: Previous ATP Finals (0-8):
Rio, 2019: Lost to Djere, 6-3, 7-5
Lyon, 2019: Lost to Paire 6-4, 6-3
Stuttgart, 2019: Lost to Berrettini 6-4, 7-6(11)
Rotterdam, 2020: Lost to Monfils, 6-4, 6-2
Marseille, 2020: Lost to Tsitsipas, 6-3, 6-4
Cologne 1, 2020: Lost to Zverev, 6-3, 6-3
Murray River Open, 2021: Lost to Evans, 6-2, 6-3
Stuttgart, 2021: Lost to Cilic, 7-6(2), 6-3
Auger-Aliassime produced 48 winners against 17 unforced errors and saved all seven break points he faced against Rublev. He broke open a close match in the second set, then cruised to the finish, breaking Rublev in the third and fifth game to improve to 11-3 on the season.
He earned his first win over Rublev, in three tries.
"It's always a little milestone whenever you beat the player that you've always lost to before, especially some of those top players in the game," Auger-Aliassime said. "Especially it shows that I've improved my game, I'm a more complete player. Today I served well when I needed to and I came up with some good shots, especially at the end of the second set, I really needed to stick in there and give myself a chance.
"To finish the way I did, against a player like Andrey, it was great."
Up next will be top-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas, the man who defeated him handily in the Marseille final in 2020. The Greek, who defeated Jiri Lehecka in three sets to book a spot in the final, owns a 5-2 record against Auger-Aliassime and has taken each of their last five meetings.
Tsitsipas has seven ATP titles but oddly, he is 0-7 in ATP 500-level finals.
"Hopefully the stars are aligned," Auger-Aliassime said. "I just need to play with no regrets, bring my best intensity and focus, give it my all, and then we'll see what the outcome is, but I think I can pull it through."