Felix Auger-Aliassime and Sebastian Korda are the last men standing in Adelaide. Two coevals will battle in Saturday's final, seeking a much-needed trophy. The Canadian will compete in his first ATP final since last year's Madrid Masters.
ADVERTISEMENT
World no. 29 ousted the top seed Tommy Paul 7-6, 3-6, 6-4 in two hours and 44 minutes of a grueling tennis. Auger-Aliassime will chase his first ATP trophy since Basel 2023. The American Sebastian Korda will try to spoil his party!
Korda missed the closing stages of 2024 due to surgery. He is making a notable comeback in Adelaide, reaching his ninth ATP final and the second at this event within three years.
Felix and Tommy have played two tight matches, and the younger player conquered them both. The American claimed six points more today but it was not enough to carry him over the top. The top seed performed better behind the second serve and saved five of eight break points.
Auger-Aliassime was in all kinf of trouble after missing the first serve. He played against 12 break points and denied eight, reducing the damage and emerging at the top. It was not the match of the highest quality, but they stayed close to each other for nearly three hours.
ADVERTISEMENT
The match started with six fine holds before they traded breaks in games seven and eight. Felix faced a set point on serve at 4-5. The Canadian saved it and prolonged the battle. He clinched the tie break 7-3 with three mini-breaks for an early advantage.
Tommy found himself in a tough position after losing serve early in the second set. He recovered his game and provided two consecutive breaks for a 4-2 lead. Paul delivered another break in the ninth game to introduce a decider.
Felix secured a break in the first game and served well for 3-1. The Canadian saved three break points in the sixth game, refusing the give the advantage away. He served for the win at 5-4 and seized the fourth match point for a place in a long-awaited ATP final.
