Basel
Auger-Aliassime builds on Basel success, fellow Turin hopeful Shelton falls
Shapovalov units Fonseca QF conflict at ATP 500
October 23, 2025
Swiss Indoors Basel
Felix Auger-Aliassime defeats Marin Cilic in a decent two-setter on Thursday in Basel.
By Andy West
Felix Auger-Aliassime has returned to profitable methods at certainly one of his favorite haunts, the Swiss Indoors Basel, simply when he wanted it most.
The 2-time champion on Thursday edged Marin Cilic 7-6(2), 7-6(2) to guide a quarter-final spot on the ATP 500 and concurrently enhance his Nitto ATP Finals qualification hopes. A yr in the past, Auger-Aliassime misplaced within the second spherical to eventual champion Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard for his solely defeat throughout his first three Basel appearances. Twelve months on and the 2022 and 2023 champion made no mistake on the similar stage towards Cilic.
Auger-Aliassime outhit the Croatian former World No. 3 by 38 winners to 21 to degree the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head collection at 3-3. Though each units went to tie-breaks, it was the fifth-seeded Canadian who completed stronger every time to finish a one-hour, 47-minute triumph.
Because the race for the remaining Nitto ATP Finals nears its climax, Auger-Aliassime might hardly have picked a extra essential second to string collectively a six-match profitable streak on the indoor onerous courts of Europe. Having lifted his third ATP 250 title of the season in Brussels on Sunday, the Canadian has now defeated two powerful, big-serving opponents in Gabriel Diallo and Cilic to achieve the final eight in Basel.
The 25-year-old Auger-Aliassime stays ninth within the PIF ATP Dwell Race To Turin, however he’s scorching on the heels of these above him. He’s simply 400 factors behind seventh-placed Alex de Minaur (who is that this week into the Vienna quarter-finals) and 290 factors behind Lorenzo Musetti (who can also be nonetheless alive within the Vienna draw).
One other Turin hopeful, sixth-placed Ben Shelton, couldn’t set a quarter-final showdown with Auger-Aliassime in Basel. Jaume Munar upset the 2024 finalist 6-3, 6-4 for the fourth High 10 win of his profession. Munar has now received all three of his Lexus ATP Head2Head matches with Shelton in 2025 (Dallas, Rome, Basel).
Denis Shapovalov was one other second-round winner early on Thursday. The Canadian downed Valentin Royer 7-6(3), 6-2 to guide a quarter-final assembly towards #NextGenATP star Joao Fonseca.
