Félix Auger-Aliassime is back in a familiar groove in Rotterdam - and if history's any indication, that could spell trouble for the rest of the field.
The Canadian No. 1 punched his ticket to the semifinals of the ABN AMRO Open for the first time since 2022, the same year he lifted his first ATP title. On Friday, he handled Dutch crowd favorite Tallon Griekspoor in straight sets, 7-6(2), 6-2, notching his 15th career win in Rotterdam and extending his current win streak to seven matches - a run that began with his title in Montpellier.
This version of Auger-Aliassime is starting to look a lot like the one who tore through the indoor hard-court swing a couple years ago. The foundation of his game - that booming first serve - was locked in from the jump. He won a staggering 92% of points behind his first delivery, giving Griekspoor virtually no room to breathe in return games.
But it wasn’t all smooth sailing early on. Auger-Aliassime had to grind through some tense moments on serve in the opening games. He spent more than 20 minutes on his first two service games alone, saving a break point and keeping the match level despite the early pressure.
Griekspoor, for his part, looked composed in front of his home crowd. After falling behind love-15 at 1-2, the Dutchman reeled off 12 straight points on serve, cruising into a 4-4 deadlock.
But when the pressure ratcheted up late in the first set, cracks began to show. Serving at 4-5, he faced his first break point of the match and had to navigate through a couple of double faults before eventually holding.
In the tiebreak, Auger-Aliassime took control. A pair of mini-breaks gave him a commanding lead, and he slammed the door shut with his sixth ace to clinch the set. It was a textbook display of serving under pressure - and a reminder of just how dangerous he can be when that part of his game is firing.
The second set was where Auger-Aliassime really separated himself. He broke Griekspoor in the opening game and backed it up with a confident hold, setting the tone for the rest of the match.
Though he missed a few chances to extend the lead - squandering break points in the third and fifth games - he didn’t let those opportunities linger. At 4-2, he broke again and calmly served out the match at 5-2, sealing the win on his first match point.
With this victory, Auger-Aliassime moves into the final four in Rotterdam, where he’ll face either Alexander Bublik or Jaume Munar. Given his current form - and his comfort level on these courts - he’s looking every bit the contender to add another title to his resume.
This is the kind of late-winter surge that could set the tone for the rest of his season. When Auger-Aliassime is serving like this and managing the big moments with poise, he’s not just tough to beat - he’s a problem.