Auger-Aliassime Advances To Face Hurkacz In Halle QFs

Felix Auger-Aliassime has defeated two former NCAA champions from UCLA in as many days, following up his first-round win over Marcos Giron with a 7-6(7), 6-1 victory over Mackenzie McDonald on Wednesday at the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle.

The Canadian saved a set point at 6/7 in the opening tie-break with a stinging return and won the next two points to pocket the set. McDonald brushed off that frustration to hold in the opening game of set two, but Auger-Aliassime dominated from there, winning 16 of the next 17 points to take command of the match.

“It was a very positive performance from my part,” said the Canadian. “The first set was a good example of a typical grass-court match, both players really serving well and holding their serve. I think it’s the kind of set where it’s just frustrating for both, to lose it. We both had really good chances to win that one.”

Auger-Aliassime also took the opening set against Giron on Tuesday, but dropped his focus briefly in the second and was forced to win a decider. He had no such trouble closing out the match against McDonald, as he won the last six games in a row.

“The level that I played in the second set, I felt like even if I didn’t win the first I would have gotten myself some chances,” he said. “But as soon as I got the first break in the second set, I started playing better and better.”

Hubert Hurkacz awaits in the quarter-finals after the Pole’s 7-6(5), 6-3 win over defending Halle champion Ugo Humbert earlier on Wednesday.

“Hubi is a good friend of mine. A great grass-court player, a great player overall,” Auger-Aliassime previewed. “A semi-finalist at Wimbeldon last year, he’s shown why he can be a top player on this surface. It’s going to be a tough one. We played in the first round [in Halle] last year and it went my way, but he was looking good today.”

Fifth seed Hurkacz has moved into the Top 10 of the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings with his progress this week, up from No. 12. He will be seeking his first win in his third ATP Head2Head meeting with Auger-Aliassime on Friday.

Hurkacz defeated American Maxime Cressy in the Halle opening round to notch his first grass-court win of the season before his win against Humbert. He fell to Marton Fucsovics in the Stuttgart opening round last week.