For the second straight week, Felix Auger Aliassime is into the semifinals of the Bett 1 Hulks Championship after exacting some revenge on his Japanese opponent Yoshito Nishioka. He was able to beat him in two tight sets 6-3 and 6-4.

Canadian Bacon :

The Japanese world number 56 got off to a great start getting an early breakpoint in the first game of the match and would eventually break as nerves once again played a factor in the Canadian opening service game.

The Montreal native responded right away earning three breakpoints in the next service and broke right back as the Mie, Japan native would send a ball into the net. The match was literally back and forth with both players having issues holding serve and the Japanese would break back once again to take an early 2-1 lead.

The Canadian would break back once again in the next game forcing errors from his Japanese opponent to level the set at two games apiece. The number five seed was finally able to hold serve and put the pressure right back on the Japanese.

Nishioka with the forehand return Christof Koepsel
Nishioka with the forehand return Christof Koepsel

He would hold serve to make it 3-3 and after holding serve the Canadian had a great opportunity to go up a break and did just that as the 56th player in the world would send a ball wide on a breakpoint and Auger Aliassime would take a 5-3 lead.

He would serve out the set with a love service game and won the setpoint with an empathic smash.

Canadian power :

The Canadian entered the second set on a high and earned more breakpoints in the first game of the second set and broke to take an early 1-0 as Nishioka would send a volley into the net. The match would stay on serve from there and at 5-4 the number five seed would serve it out to once again book a spot in the semis tomorrow night.

" I wanted to try a few things against him, mix up his speed, the rhythm, and the slice, play higher, play faster through his forehand so I tried to play with that today and the outcome was good"

Auger Aliassime with the forehand return Christof Koepsel
Auger Aliassime with the forehand return Christof Koepsel

Quarter-Finals day

In that semi, he will face Diego Schwartzman of Argentina who beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in a three-set, three-hour battle. The Spaniard was up 6-2, and 5-2 when the Argentine would storm back to force a tiebreaker and eventually won the third set 6-1. 

Alexander Zverev the number one seed needed almost three hours as well to beat Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 6-4, 7-6, and 6-4. Finally, Jannik Sinner beat another Frenchman Gilles Simon again in three sets 6-3, 0-6, and 6-4.

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