A fit Felix rockets through to the final

Felix Auger-Aliassime could hardly have wished for a better evening match for his semi-final. The 25-year-old Canadian only needed 54 minutes to defeat the Kazakh Alexander Bublik and secure his spot in the final with a 6-1, 6-2 win. This will be world No. 8’s  third appearance on the final Sunday, after reaching it in 2020 and ultimately winning the title in  2022. It was the shortest match of the entire tournament, and this might come in handy especially when your opponent in the final already played in the afternoon and can get an early night’s rest. "I didn’t expect this; Bublik is a top-10 player. Considering how tonight went, it’s hard to feel even better than I do right now,” revealed a super-fit Auger-Aliassime, smiling and understandably delighted with his performance.

In the final this afternoon, he will face an "old” acquaintance: 21-year-old Australian Alex de Minaur. This year’s final is a dream matchup, featuring the tournament’s top two seeds. The players know each other very well, playing against each other back in 2015, in junior college tournaments in the United States, and a year later in bigger competitions as juniors at Wimbledon. The ABN AMRO Open, will mark their tenth meeting on tour, with Auger-Aliassime holding a 6-3 lead in their head-to-head record.

But the Canadian is not taking anything for granted: "Alex is a fantastic guy and a real fighter, so it’s going to be a tough battle,” said the man who has recorded the most indoor wins worldwide since early 2020, with 93 victories. Jannik Sinner ranks second with 83, and Bublik third with 64. A true specialist in indoor conditions, no wind, no scorching heat, often on exceptionally fast courts where a powerful serve, booming forehand, and lightning-fast footwork dominate.

Auger-Aliassime possesses all three of these qualities, while De Minaur excels above all in footwork. But it’s not just that which excites the Canadian about his third final in Ahoy. "I’ve had such a fantastic week here. First, beating Tallon (Griekspoor) in the quarter-finals on his home court, then taking down Bublik, a top-10 player. And now a final against another top-10 player. These are the matches you want to play.”