Canadian Auger-Aliassime cruises into French Open quarterfinals

The French Open is like the wild, wild west this year, in sharp contrast to recent times when Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz won every Grand Slam title. And among the gunslingers still in this shootout is Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.

The 25-year-old from Montreal, the No. 4 seed but a long way from being fourth on the favorites list when the tournament began, moved into the quarterfinals after a routine 6-3, 7-5, 6-1 victory Monday over Toronto-born Chilean Alejandro Tabilo.

It's his first career French Open quarterfinal. And it's a major upgrade over last year, when he lost a five-set marathon to Italy's Matteo Arnaldi in the first round.

Auger-Aliassime has now made the quarterfinals at all four Grand Slam tournaments in his career, and at all the Masters 1000-level events as well.

"My best match so far in the tournament. It feels good to play the way that I aspire to play in this game and today, in a Grand Slam, this is the type of match that you want to play," he said.

Auger-Aliassime has made the second week in Paris twice before, losing in the fourth round to Carlos Alcaraz in 2024, and to 14-time champion Rafael Nadal in five sets in 2022.

This year, though, there is no Nadal, no Alcaraz. Tournament favourites Sinner and Novak Djokovic were shock early losers.

And that means that it's anyone's tournament to win. Or lose.

The way the remaining contenders handle the nerves, the belief — or lack of same — and manage the amount of fuel left in the tank after an overheated road to the final eight will determine who holds up the trophy on Sunday.

On Wednesday, Auger-Aliassime will face No. 10 seed Flavio Cobolli, who is 2-0 against him with both wins coming on hard courts — most recently in the first round of the National Bank Open in Montreal in 2024.

That match came just two days after Auger-Aliassime's medal turn at the Paris Olympics, at Roland Garros on the red clay. It was a struggle.

"I came because I was playing at home, and I wanted to play in front of my crowd, but I was in no place to play well," Auger-Aliassime said. "He destroyed me. I played terrible."

It's the first career French Open quarterfinal for Cobolli as well.

"When you see the way he moves, when you see his shots, you can see that he's talented; you can see that he's a very balanced player. He's got great hands," Auger-Aliassime said. "I have always been a fan of his game. I think he's a great player."

The winner will play either the surprising American Frances Tiafoe (the No. 19 seed), unseeded former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini (currently ranked No. 105) or Arnaldi, currently ranked No. 104 and also unseeded.

Out of that group will come one of the finalists.

Berrettini, who last played the French Open five long and injury-plagued years ago, when he was in the top 10 in the rankings, was a quarterfinalist that year.

They all came through the draw during a rarely-seen French Open heat wave. Temperatures were mired in the mid-30s C all week, the humidity was unbearable at times, and the parade of draining matches was endless.

The heavy favourite in the absence of Alcaraz, world No. 1 Sinner, was ousted in the second round by the little-known Juan Manuel Cerundolo of Argentina after leading two sets and 5-1 in the third set; as has happened before in his career, he was done in by the oppressive conditions.

Djokovic, who may never have had a better opportunity to win that elusive 25th career major, was up two sets to none against rising Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca, but fell in five sets after four hours, 53 minutes.

Fonseca backed up the Djokovic victory with another over former French Open finalist Casper Ruud, in the fourth round on Sunday.

The 19-year-old with heavy expectations on his slender shoulders is very much alive in the bottom half of the draw where the kids, the up-and-coming generation, are trying to seize their moment as well.

No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev, so often denied a first major title first in the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic era, and now in the Sinner-Alcaraz era, is the only experienced one in the bunch.

Fonseca will play 20-year-old Jakub Mensik in one quarterfinal Tuesday. Zverev will play another 19-year-old, rising Spaniard Rafael Jodar.

Yes, another Spanish "Rafa" in Paris.

In the absence of a French interest, the Paris crowd surely will rally behind their Quebecois cousin, who has a residence in Monte Carlo and a lot of sponsorship exposure in France in addition to sharing the language.

"There has always been nice complicity between our countries — especially with Quebec. The French players really enjoy playing in Montreal, too," Auger-Aliassime said. "And I hope that'll continue. I'll need their support in the complicated moments as the tournament goes along."

Ottawa's Dabrowski advances in doubles

Earlier, Ottawa's Gabriela Dabrowski and Brazil's Luisa Stefani advanced to the women's doubles quarterfinals with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Norway's Ulrikke Eikeri and Quinn Gleason of the United States.

Dabrowski and Stefani won 80 per cent of first-serve points and converted four of eight break points.

Their final break put them up 5-4 in the second set before they held serve to clinch the win.

It was the second win for Dabrowski and Stefani over Eikeri and Gleason in as many months. Dabrowski and Stefani also beat them May 23 in the final of the Strasbourg International.

Dabrowski and Stefani, seeded fourth, will next face the 11th-seeded pair of Laura Siegemund of Germany and Vera Zvonareva of Russia.

Kalinskaya prevails in super tiebreak

Anna Kalinskaya surprised herself after defeating Anastasia Potapova 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (10-7) to reach her first French Open quarterfinal.

The Russian had not expected to get this far.

"Thinking two weeks ago that I will be here, I wouldn't believe it," she said. "I would probably laugh with my team."

Perhaps setting a low bar has helped her play more freely in the opening rounds.

"I just take this clay season very easy mentally. I don't put too much pressure to do well. I guess it helps," the No. 22 seed said. "I didn't have any expectations on clay for myself."

Their contest on Court Suzanne-Lenglen stretched to almost three hours after Potapova failed to serve out the match twice in the decider and Kalinskaya overturned a 4-1 deficit in the super tiebreak.

It will be Kalinskaya's second quarterfinal at a major beside the 2024 Australian Open.

Despite pre-tournament men's favourite Jannik Sinner losing in the second round, Italian fans will have at least one player in the quarterfinals.

Tenth-seeded Flavio Cobolli advanced to his second Grand Slam quarterfinal -- and his first here -- after beating American Zachary Svajda 6-2, 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (5).

Big-serving Matteo Berrettini, the other remaining Italian, faces Juan Manuel Cerundolo also later Monday.

But French hopes are over following Diane Parry's 6-3, 6-2 loss to Maja Chwalinska of Poland. There are also no more Americans in the women's draw after Madison Keys lost to Diana Shnaider 6-3, 3-6, 6-0.

Later, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, last year's runner-up, takes on Naomi Osaka in a match between four-time Grand Slam winners. It is the first women's night match at the French Open in three years.

Soccer stars show off Champions League trophy

Paris Saint-Germain took its Champions League success to the French Open on Monday when Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele and three teammates raised the trophy for tennis fans.

Dembele and his France teammates Bradley Barcola, Warren Zaire-Emery and Desire Doue received a standing ovation from tennis fans as they took to the sun-drenched Philippe-Chatrier court.

PSG won Europe's most prestigious club competition for a second straight year on Saturday after beating Arsenal in a tense final which finished with a penalty shootout.

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi was also present at Roland Garros stadium, which is in western Paris close to PSG's own arena, the Parc des Princes. A former tennis player, the 52-year-old Al-Khelaifi played two ATP tour matches, including a loss to 1995 French Open champion Thomas Muster, and played for Qatar in the Davis Cup.

France is among the favourites of the World Cup starting June 11 in Mexico, Canada and the United States.

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