Felix Auger-Aliassime had a special message for the retiring Gilles Simon after their encounter at the Paris Masters
Felix Auger-Aliassime became the last opponent of Gilles Simon on the ATP Tour after he defeated the French veteran in straight sets 6-1, 6-3 on Thursday. The Canadian youngster extended his winning streak to 15 with the win as he hopes to bag his fourth title in a row and fifth in the season.
Gilles Simon had announced before beginning his Paris Masters campaign that the ATP 1000 event will be his last tournament on the tour. Few gave him a chance against his first-round opponent Andy Murray, someone who has defeated the Frenchman on 16 occasions. However, the 37-year-old rose to the challenge and bounced back from a set down to win the match 4-6, 7-5, 6-3. Simon produced another stunning result in the second round as he ousted Taylor Fritz in three sets.
Auger-Aliassime turned out to be a bridge too far as Simon went down in quick time. The former world No. 6 received a great ovation from the fans and Auger-Aliassime wrote a special message for him on the camera with a marker. The 22-year-old wrote: “Merci Gillou!” which means “Thank you Gillou!”
What’s next for Felix Auger-Aliassime?
The world No. 8 – Felix Auger-Aliassime has made it to the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters after defeating Mikael Ymer and Gilles Simon.
In the quarterfinals, Auger-Aliassime will lock horns with Frances Tiafoe. The American youngster has defeated Lorenzo Sonego, Jack Draper, and Alex de Minaur en route to the quarterfinals.
The two players have faced each other on a couple of occasions in the past. The Canadian sensation has come up trumps on both occasions.
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