FAA flounders in Turin chase with Shanghai loss

Felix Auger-Aliassime lost traction as he aims for a late place in the ATP Finals next month, with the Canadian going out of the Shanghai Masters on Friday a 6-3, 6-4 victim of Arthur Rinderknech.

The quarter-final defeat in 89 minutes leaves FAA stuck on provisional 10th in the sprint to the eight-man season wrapup in Turin.

He trails eight-placed Lorenzo Musetti by 530 points with a month left in the regular ATP season.

Rinderknech, 30, could find himself facing his cousin, qualifier Valentin Vacherot of Monaco, if the outsider somehow goes past Novak Djokovic in their Saturday semi-final in China.

Rinderknech is the third French player to reach the final four in Shanghai after Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gilles Simon, both a decade ago.

He will bid for the finals against Daniil Medvedev in the last four.

The winner admitted he has had an eye on his cousin as No 204 Vacherot advances.to new career highs.

“I was stressing so much during his whole match (a quarter-final defeat of 10th seed Holger Rune). “I am not used to watching guys play on court and I wanted him to win so much.

“I was so stressed but I didn’t want to show anything. I didn’t want to stress him. Today was a lot calmer for me on court.”