Auger-Aliassime into European Open semifinals, Shapovalov advances to Stockholm semis

Canadian tennis players Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov advanced to the semifinals of their respective ATP 250 tournaments with wins on Friday.

Montreal’s Auger-Aliassime advanced to the final four of the European Open with a 6-2, 7-6 (6) win over American qualifier Eliot Spizzirri.

Shapovalov, from Richmond Hill, Ont., won his quarterfinal match at the Stockholm Open against Swedish wild card Elias Ymer 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-1.

In Brussels, Auger-Aliassime won when he clinched the second-set tiebreaker with his 11th ace of the match.

The second-seeded Canadian cruised through the first set, breaking Spizzirri’s serve twice while not facing break point himself.

Spizzirri proved a much tougher opponent in the second set and had two set points in Game 12 before Auger-Aliassime completed the hold with an ace and tied the frame 6-6.

The American then led the tiebreak 5-3, but Auger-Aliassime won four of the next five points.

The 25-year-old Auger-Aliassime, who entered the tournament ranked 13th in the world, will face Belgian wild card Raphael Collignon in the semifinals.

Shapovalov, ranked third in Stockholm, pulled away from Ymer by winning the final five matches of the third set.

The world No. 23 will next face second seed Casper Ruud of Norway. Shapovalov, 26, beat Ruud earlier this year in the final of the Dallas Open.

At the Japan Women’s Open in Osaka, Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., beat Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 in the semifinals on Saturday morning (Friday night ET).

Fernandez had one ace, 33 winners and 31 unforced errors in the nearly two-hour match.

The Canadian had a huge advantage on first serves, and won six of 12 return games.

She will play Tereza Valentova of Czechia in the championship final.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2025.