ATP
FAA unleashes ace attack to reach Basel quarters
Two-time champion Felix Auger-Aliassime finished with a one-two ace attack on Thursday to reach the Swiss Indoors quarter-finals 7-6 (2), 7-6 (2) over fellow former title winner Marin Cilic.
The second-round sweep concluded dramatically with the Canadian fifth seed sending down his 27th and 28th aces to make his winning point over the veteran Croat who lifted the 2016 trophy here.
FAA, the 2022 and 2023 champion at the St Jakobshalle, was joined in the last eight by compatriot Denis Shapovalov, a 7-6 (3), 6-2 winner against lucky loser Valentin Royer.
FAA needed an hour and three-quarters to go through with 38 winners, picking up the pace after spending nearly an hour in winning the opening set.
The newly-married winner who earned the Brussels title last weekend won his 13th Basel match with only one 2024 loss blotting his record.
FAA stayed in the chase for a year-end spot in Turin next month as he fortified his provisional ninth placing for the eight-man event.