Montreal’s Felix Auger-Aliassime secured a spot in the second round of the Qatar Open tennis tournament by triumphing 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2) against French qualifier Quentin Halys in Doha. The match reached a tense tiebreaker in the final set, where Auger-Aliassime emerged victorious, sealing the win on his return.
Halys claimed the first set by breaking Auger-Aliassime in the closing game. However, the Canadian responded strongly in the second set by securing a crucial break early on and eventually winning the set with an ace after facing double break points.
Auger-Aliassime showcased his powerful serve with 13 aces, while Halys matched him closely with 12 of his own. This victory marked Auger-Aliassime’s second consecutive win against Halys, having defeated him last year in Marseille.
Ranked 23rd globally and already boasting two titles this season, Auger-Aliassime is set to challenge Serbia’s Hamad Medjedovic in the upcoming ATP 500 event. Medjedovic advanced by upsetting sixth-seeded Greek player Stefanos Tsitsipas with a 7-6 (6), 5-7, 7-6 (5) victory.
In another surprising turn of events, McCartney Kessler claimed her first top-10 victory by defeating third-ranked Coco Gauff 6-4, 7-5 at the Dubai Championships. Gauff had not lost to a player ranked outside the top 50 since 2023. Kessler, currently ranked 54th, will face either Emma Raducanu or Karolina Muchova in the Round of 16.
Elsewhere, second-seeded Iga Swiatek secured a convincing 6-0, 6-2 win over Victoria Azarenka and is set to compete against Dayana Yastremska for a spot in the quarterfinals. Top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka eliminated Veronia Kudermetova 6-3, 6-4, while defending champion Jasmine Paolini defeated Eva Lys 6-2, 7-5. Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, and Paula Badosa also progressed in the tournament.