Felix Auger Aliassime is into the semi-finals of the Bett 1 Hulks Indoors in Cologne after beating Radu Albot in a dominating fashion 6-3 and 6-0 in one hour and 11 minutes.
Canadian cooking :
The Canadian got off to a nervous start once again as in the first game he hit four unforced errors in a row to give the Maldivian the early break and a 1-0 lead. The world number 22 rallied in the next to set up a breakpoint to go back on serve with a great passing shot.
The Canadian would get the break back and we were back on serve at 1-1 when the world number 82 would hit a ball out. It stayed on serve until 3-2 during the changeover Auger Aliassime called for the trainer and took a medical timeout to have a look at his foot.
His foot had been bandaged up and the trainer took the timeout to have it rebandaged and he was good to go. The number three seed had another look at a breakpoint at 4-3 and broke once again with another superb passing shot.
He would serve for the set and take it 6-3 winning set point with a forehand winner.
One way traffic :
That first set seemed to spark the Canadian and he had full momentum of the match and had early breakpoints in the first game of the second set and was able to break to take a 1-0 lead after Albot would double fault on a breakpoint.
He would hold serve and cruised from there earning more breakpoints and broke to a take a commanding 3-0 lead with a great return forehand winner. At 4-0 he had a chance to break again and serve for the match and he did just that with another service return winner.
He would serve out the match-winning match point with a big ace to take the match 6-4 and 6-0. He will next face the winner of Hubert Hurkacz vs Roberto Bautista Agut in the semi-finals tomorrow.
Quarter-Final action :
It was quarter-finals day in Cologne at the Bett 1 Hulks Indoors and we had three other matches on schedule to decide the semi-final lineup for tomorrow.
Alexander Zverev the tournament one seed booked his spot by beating Lloyd Harris of South Africa in three sets 6-4, 3-6, and 6-0. Both players played two tight sets but unfortunately at 2-0 in the third set Harris seemed to get injured.
" It was his fifth match so tough for him, I knew after the second set my intensity had to go up to start the third set much quicker and I did that and I feel at the end of the 2-0 game he got hurt but I do hope he will be ready to play next week".
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina continued his stellar run by beating Dennis Novak 6-3, 6-2, and 6-3 to set up a match with the German in the semi-finals. In the last match of the day, Roberto Bautista Agut beat Hubert Hurkacz in three sets 7-6, 5-7, and 6-0.