Montreal’s Auger-Aliassime keeps ATP Finals hopes alive with first-round win in Paris

PARIS — Montreal’s Felix Auger-Aliassime kept his chances of qualifying for the ATP Finals alive with a first-round win Tuesday at the Paris Masters tennis tournament.

Auger-Aliassime came back from a set down to beat Argentine qualifier Francisco Comesana 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-3.

In other first-round action, Montreal’s Gabriel Diallo defeated Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands 6-3, 6-4, while Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., fell 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 to Joao Fonseca. It was the Brazilian teen’s second straight win over Shapovalov.

Auger-Aliassime’s win moved him to within 440 points of eighth-place Lorenzo Musetti in the ATP Race To Turin standings. The top eight qualify for the season-ending event in Italy.

The 25-year-old won an ATP 250 event in Belgium nine days ago, but he potentially left some points on the table when he retired during a quarterfinal clash in Basel last week with a sore back.

Auger-Aliassime, seeded ninth in Paris, will next meet France’s Alexandre Muller.

Diallo beat Griekspoor the first time. The two met twice earlier this year, with Griekspoor winning in the second round of the French Open and the quarterfinals of a grass tournament in Mallorca.

The six-foot-eight Diallo, who entered Paris ranked 42nd in the world, will next face sixth seed Alex de Minaur of Australia.

Shapovalov had nine aces but also nine double-faults in his loss to Fonseca. The two met last week in Basel, with Shapovalov withdrawing from the quarterfinal match down 3-6, 6-3, 4-1 despite not explicitly showing any signs of injury.

Fonseca, 19, went on to win the tournament and became the third-youngest player to win an ATP 500 event.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 28, 2025.