Auger-Aliassime ends German teens Engel's historic run at Stuttgart Open

CBC

a day ago

A day after Justin Engel became the youngest tennis player in 40 years to reach a men's tour quarterfinal on grass, his run at the Stuttgart Open ended with a loss to Felix Auger-Aliassime on Friday.
The 17-year-old German gave former U.S. Open semifinalist Auger-Aliassime a tough fight in the first set before the Canadian took a 7-6 (3), 6-3 win.
Auger-Aliassime next plays second-seeded Taylor Fritz in the semifinals. The Canadian's victory keeps up a record of reaching the semifinals all three times he's played in Stuttgart. He was runner-up in 2019 and 2021.
Engel's upset win over U.S. player Alex Michelsen on Thursday made him the youngest player to reach the quarters of any tour-level men's grass-court event since Boris Becker won Wimbledon as a 17-year-old in 1985.
Engel this week also became the second-youngest player since 1990, behind Rafael Nadal, to have won a match on all three surfaces — grass, clay and hard-court — on the tour.
Canadian Diallo upsets No. 3 seed
Montreal's Gabriel Diallo fired 19 aces to beat No. 3 seed Karen Khachanov of Russia 7-6 (6), 3-6, 6-3 on Friday at the grass-court Libema Open.
The Canadian won 74 per cent of his first-serve points and saved four of five break chances.
He took the opening set in a tight tiebreak before Khachanov responded with a single break in the second.
Diallo broke early in the third and never faced another break point.
The 23-year-old is projected to rise to No. 48 in the ATP's live rankings — the first top-50 showing of his career.
Diallo will face No. 2 seed Ugo Humbert of France in Saturday's semifinal after Humbert beat No. 7 seed Nuno Borges of Portugal 6-1, 6-4.