In a surprising turn of events at the Qatar Open, Montreal’s own Felix Auger-Aliassime has secured a spot in the semifinals following the unexpected retirement of Russia’s Daniil Medvedev due to illness.
Auger-Aliassime dominated the first set of their quarterfinal clash on Thursday, taking it 6-3 before Medvedev, the fourth seed in this ATP 500 event, had to exit the match.
The 24-year-old Canadian showcased his skills, winning a staggering 89% of his service points and delivering four aces, all while defending against no break points in that commanding opening set.
With a key break at 4-3, Auger-Aliassime solidified his lead before clinching the set with another return win in the defining game.
Reflecting on the situation during his on-court interview, Auger-Aliassime remarked, “I felt he was playing normally, but I can’t speculate on how he felt. For me, everything felt pretty standard until the break, then I held my serve. It was surprising to hear he didn’t want to shake hands because he was unwell.”
“I genuinely hope it’s nothing serious,” he added, expressing his surprise.
Auger-Aliassime is set to face off against Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev in the semifinals, a remarkable feat considering he has completed just one full match in Doha so far.
His journey began with a gritty first-round victory over French qualifier Quentin Halys, followed by a fortuitous advancement to the quarterfinals when Serbian opponent Hamad Medjedovic withdrew due to a leg injury sustained in his shocking upset over sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.
“This week has been quite unusual because typically you play through at least three matches before reaching this stage,” Auger-Aliassime noted. “I managed to get through the first round, but the conditions have been different from previous weeks. Now I’m in a position where I’ve only played one full set when I should have completed at least four. It feels strange.”
Interestingly, Auger-Aliassime encountered a similar path to the final at last year’s Madrid Open, progressing with two mid-match retirements and a walkover before ultimately facing and losing to Rublev in the championship.
With his victory over Medvedev, Auger-Aliassime improves his head-to-head record against the Russian to 2-7, knowing full well that he faces another challenge against Rublev, who leads their encounters 5-1.
Ranked 23rd in the world, Auger-Aliassime is on the hunt for his eighth ATP title, including his third of this year.
Rublev reached the semifinals with a tightly contested 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(8) victory over Australia’s second seed, Alex de Minaur.
