Auger-Aliassime defeats Paul to reach Adelaide final

Felix Auger-Aliassime, aged 24, required four match points and nearly three hours of play to secure a victory over Tommy Paul with a score of 7-6, 3-6, 6-4, thereby advancing to the final of the Adelaide International on Friday.

This marks the Canadian's 16th final appearance and places him just one victory away from claiming his sixth title, occurring just before the Australian Open.

The defeat prevented American player Paul from achieving a top 10 ranking for the first time in his career.

The semi-final encounter was characterized by over 90 unforced errors, with Auger-Aliassime unable to secure a straight-sets victory as Paul rallied to win six of the last seven games in the second set.

"I will focus on recovery now for the final," remarked the victor. "The match demanded significant physical and mental effort, with numerous fluctuations in performance.

"Neither of us played at our best level, but such matches occur, and one must find a way to prevail."

In the women's competition, Madison Keys, a two-time Australian Open semi-finalist, triumphed over Liudmila Samsonova with a score of 5-7, 7-5, 3-0, propelling her into a second final at Memorial Drive.

The 2022 Adelaide champion progressed when her heavily taped opponent retired during the third set.

"I am thrilled to reach another final here," Keys expressed. "I was genuinely pleased to remain competitive in the match. She performed exceptionally well at the beginning.

"While winning through retirement is not the ideal scenario, I am grateful that I was able to endure and persevere."

SportsLigue