Félix Auger-Aliassime Reaches Dubai Tennis Championships Semifinals

Dubai, UAE – Félix Auger-Aliassime continued his strong performance at the Dubai Tennis Championships, defeating Jiří Lehečka 6-3, 7-6(2) on Thursday morning to secure a spot in the semifinals. The Canadian favourite overcame the eighth-seeded Czech player after a hard-fought battle lasting one hour and 52 minutes on the ATP 500 series court.

Auger-Aliassime now holds a 3-1 career record against Lehečka. His next challenge will be a highly anticipated match against third-seeded Russian Daniil Medvedev, who easily defeated American Jenson Brooksby 6-2, 6-1.

Looking Ahead to Medvedev

“We have very different styles,” Auger-Aliassime commented after his match. “I’m going to try to be the aggressor. He’s going to try to wear me down. So we’ll see which of us has the better game plan. […] We’ve had some very tight matches in recent years. But he’s a great player. One of the best of our generation. I have a lot of respect for his game.”

Dominating Performance Against Lehečka

The Quebec native, sporting a bandage under his left knee, dominated Lehečka with 16 aces to 7. He also converted two break points out of nine opportunities and didn’t face a single break point against his serve. Auger-Aliassime also limited unforced errors, committing 18 fewer than his opponent (23-41), and held a slight edge in winners (25-24).

Unlike his previous match against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, where he struggled to find his rhythm on serve, Auger-Aliassime was particularly sharp against Lehečka. “It went well on serve, even though the playing conditions were very different between the first and second sets,” Auger-Aliassime explained. “There was a bit of wind, as is often the case in the desert, in the first set, then the wind died down in the second set, and the spotlights were on… So I had to adapt and find solutions, without trying to be perfect on serve.”

Patience and Strategic Play

Auger-Aliassime demonstrated remarkable patience, elevating his game at crucial moments to make the difference. He broke Lehečka in the seventh game of the first set to take a 4-3 lead, and again in the ninth to close out the set in just 35 minutes.

The second set proved to be more challenging, with Lehečka raising his level of play. Auger-Aliassime relied on his powerful serve to fire aces and escape tricky situations. “It was difficult to get break chances in the second set. Every time I got a chance to break him, he hit an ace […] So I had to stay patient, because sometimes your opponent manages to limit their errors,” the Canadian noted.

A Tight Second Set and Decisive Tie-Break

Auger-Aliassime came close to securing a decisive break in the eighth game, but Lehečka held firm. The same scenario played out at 6-5 in favour of Auger-Aliassime, forcing a tie-break. Auger-Aliassime took an early lead of 4-2 in the tie-break before sealing the match with two consecutive aces.

The 25-year-old Auger-Aliassime is now aiming for his second title of the season, following his victory in Montpellier, France, earlier this month, and a 10th career title on the ATP tour. You can find more information about the ATP tour on the official ATP Tour website.

Other Notable Results from Dubai

• Denis Shapovalov lost to Pablo Carreno Busta 6-2, 6-4 in the first round.
• Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani advanced to the women’s doubles final.