New York (AFP) – Felix Auger-Aliassime admits he will likely have to shelve next week’s wedding suit fitting after moving to within one win of the US Open final on Wednesday. The 25-year-old Canadian is in the last four of a Grand Slam for only the second time after matching his run from four years ago at Flushing Meadows.
Auger-Aliassime overcame eighth seed Alex de Minaur 4-6, 7-6 (9/7), 7-5, 7-6 (7/4) in a 4hr 10min slog to stay in the hunt for a first major title. His resurgence in New York has left him little time for wedding planning with fiancee Nina Ghaibi ahead of their forthcoming nuptials. “Obviously we’re probably going to have to postpone it. It’s a quick turnaround,” he said of Monday’s scheduled appointment to find his wedding suit.
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Asked whether playing a US Open semi-final or getting married was more nerve-wracking, Auger-Aliassime said it was hard to know. “I was in the semi-finals before. Walking down the aisle, I have never done,” he said. Auger-Aliassime, the 25th seed, will play the winner of the all-Italian quarter-final between reigning champion Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti. “The biggest challenges are yet to come, but that’s what I live for, that’s what I train for,” he said.
Auger-Aliassime earned his second win over a top-10 player at this tournament, having knocked out third seed Alexander Zverev in the last 32. He saved a set point against De Minaur in the second-tie tiebreak and rallied from 5-2 down in the fourth set. “Some days you won’t feel your best but I was willing to dig really deep and do everything I can,” said Auger-Aliassime. “It feels amazing. Four years ago, it feels like more. It was a tough couple of years but it feels even better now to be in the semi-finals.”
Despite just one win on his past three visits to Flushing Meadows during a disappointing run of results at the biggest tournaments, Auger-Aliassime never doubted his ability to contend. “I think it helps that, like, I had those moments pretty young in my career,” he said. “If I was 35 now, maybe I would doubt if it would ever come again, like if I was losing first round back end of my career. I think even those last few years I was young enough to think, OK, not that, like, will I be there, but I wasn’t even thinking about that far away. I was more, like, what do I need to improve.”
De Minaur has now lost all six of his Grand Slam quarter-finals. “Right now I’m looking at this like a wasted opportunity,” said the 26-year-old Australian. “Today was an opportunity to break new ground. I was nowhere near the level I needed to be at. That’s frustrating, because you don’t get these chances often.”
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