Daniil Medvedev and Felix Auger-Aliassime strengthened their bids to qualify for the ATP Finals on Friday with quarterfinal wins at the ATP 500 level.
The Erste Bank Open’s top seed in Vienna, Medvedev dismissed sixth seed Jannik Sinner, 6-4, 6-2. The 26-year-old did not face a break point, firing seven aces past the Italian to set a semifinal meeting with Grigor Dimitrov.
A title run this week would clinch Medvedev’s return to the season finale. In January, he was a set away from lifting his second consecutive major trophy, before Rafael Nadal rallied from two sets down to claim the Australian Open. Medvedev became world No. 1 for the first time on February 28, yet has celebrated just one title thus far in 2022—at the 250 tournament in Los Cabos.
Sinner’s outside hopes of qualifying for Turin took a major hit in defeat. The 21-year-old now trails the man currently occupying the final position—Auger-Aliassime—by 915 points, a deficit that could turn into an insurmountable one this weekend. The Canadian aims to further separate himself from the remaining group of fellow hopefuls this weekend at the Swiss Indoors Basel.
A day after conceding a single game to Miomir Kecmanovic in a performance Auger-Aliassime proclaimed was “the best match I’ve ever played”, the world No. 9 overpowered Alexander Bublik, 6-2, 6-3, with an equally impressive level on the court. Eighty-five minutes later, Auger-Aliassime walked off with 31 winners, 4 unforced errors and an 11th consecutive victory.