Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime cruised into the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open with a 7-5, 6-4, 6-3 win over 15th-seeded Andrey Rublev of Russia on Monday in New York City.
It’s the furthest Auger-Aliassime, the 25th seed, has made it in a Grand Slam event since he made the quarterfinals at the 2022 Australian Open. His best outing at a Grand Slam was a semifinal appearance at the 2021 U.S. Open.
The Montreal native, who upset third-seeded Alexander Zverev of Germany on Saturday, will next face No. 8 seed Alex de Minaur of Australia for a chance at the semifinals.
WATCH l Auger-Aliassime beats Rublev in straight sets:Â
Montreal’s Felix Auger-Aliassime rolls into U.S. Open quarters
The Canadian tennis star cruised to a straight-sets win over Andrey Rublev in the U.S. Open Round of 16.
In women’s doubles action, Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski and New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe defeated No. 13 seed Cristina Bucas of Spain and Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States 6-4, 6-2 to advance to the quarterfinals.
Dabrowski and Routliffe, the third seed, converted on five of their eight break-point chances in the one-hour, 21-minute match. They will next face the 11th-seeded pairing of Hungary’s Timea Babos and Brazil’s Luisa Stefani.
Auger-Aliassime fired 13 aces to just four double faults in the two-hour, 16-minute match. He also broke on four of his seven chances and had 42 winners to Rublev’s 22.
The opening set was a back-and-forth affair that saw the two play to a 5-5 tie. Auger-Aliassime put himself ahead 6-5 thanks to two aces and a forehand winner.
After multiple failed chances at converting on break point with the final game at deuce, Auger-Aliassime eventually claimed the set with a forehand winner followed by a Rublev backhand unforced error.
Auger-Aliassime plays a forehand return during Monday’s match. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images)
With the second set tied 2-2, Auger-Aliassime went into cruise control winning four of the next five games. He closed out two of those games with aces and the other two thanks to an unforced error and a forced error from Rublev.
In the final set, with Rublev looking to make a push and the score at 5-4, Auger-Aliassime didn’t surrender a single point. Behind a forehand winner, ace, forehand winner then a backhand winner, the 25-year-old sealed the victory.
Later Monday, Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., and tennis legend Venus Williams are set to face China’s Zhang Shuai and Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova in the Round of 16 in women’s doubles play.
Osaka beats Gauff to reach 1st major quarters since 2021
Naomi Osaka and Iga Swiatek rolled into the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open, showing off what once made each of them the top-ranked women’s tennis player in the world.
Osaka dominated Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-2 in their highly anticipated showdown Monday in Arthur Ashe Stadium. Swiatek rallied from down 3-1 in the first set to beat Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-1.
“At the beginning, I felt like she was playing really fast,” said Swiatek, who is seeking her second U.S. Open title and seventh in a Grand Slam. “I wanted to find my rhythm, but later on I really felt like I was in my bubble and in my zone.”
Osaka, in the quarterfinals at a major for the first time since 2021, is set to face No. 11 Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic for a spot in the semifinals. Up next for Swiatek is either American Amanda Anisimova or Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil.
Top-ranked men’s player Jannik Sinner faces No. 23 Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan in the night session.