Canadian tennis star Felix Auger-Aliassime staged a dramatic comeback against Australia's Alex de Minaur in a grueling four-hour US Open quarterfinal on Wednesday, securing his second career Grand Slam semifinal berth with a 4-6, 7-6 (9/7), 7-5, 7-6 (7/4) victory.
The 25-year-old Montreal native, who last reached this stage at the 2021 US Open, showcased remarkable resilience after dropping the first set. "Some days you won't feel your best, but I was willing to dig really deep," Auger-Aliassime said post-match, his shirt still damp with effort. "Four years ago feels like more. It was a tough couple of years, but this makes it even sweeter."
De Minaur, 26, fell to 0-6 in Grand Slam quarterfinals despite his signature relentless play. "Right now I'm looking at this like a wasted opportunity," the eighth seed admitted, having pushed the match to four tense tiebreaks.
The victory positions Auger-Aliassime for a potential career-defining breakthrough, while underscoring the intense physical demands of modern tennis. Analysts noted the match's 63 winners from the Canadian contrasted with De Minaur's 47 unforced errors as pivotal to the outcome.
