"Didn't see the tweet, nice from him but we'll see when I lose" - Felix Auger-Aliassime thanks Nick Kyrgios for his confidence, but not focused on win-streak
Felix Auger-Aliassime's stellar tennis season continued on Friday with a 6-1, 6-4 win against Frances Tiafoe in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Paris Masters. On his sixth match point, the 22-year-old Montrealer finally got past Tiafoe to win his 16th straight match, and will next lock horns with Holger Rune in the semifinals.
Felix Auger Aliassime can’t stop winning, beats Frances Tiafoe 6-1, 6-4 for a 16th consecutive win. Into the semifinals in Paris!
Next? A rematch of the Basel semifinal vs. Alcaraz or a rematch of the Basel final vs. Rune. https://t.co/VSfvRRSURl
During his post-match press conference, Felix Auger-Aliassime was asked about a tweet Nick Kyrgios posted a day earlier, joking about when the Canadian would lose, referring to his winning streak.
When is FAA gonna lose 😂
While acknowledging that he had not seen the tweet, Auger-Aliassime thanked the Australian for his confidence. However, he made it clear that he was not going to focus on his winning streak too much, noting that he would find out how it turned out at the end of the week either way.
"Yeah, I didn't see the tweet. Nice from him," Felix Auger-Aliassime said with a smile. "We'll see when I lose. I mean, I'm not focused on that. I mean, enjoying, you know, my streak. Just showing up to every match with the same attitude and with the same fighting spirit and just focused. That's what I'm trying to do. I'm just trying my best, and we'll see what the outcome is at the end of this week."
The 22-year-old continued by discussing his match with Frances Tiafoe and stating that it was "a great match overall" and that it was crucial to maintain his composure and concentrate on his serve.
"Today was, yeah, was a great match overall, having 6-1 and breakpoints, to double break at 5-3 and win the match, I mean, it's tough to ask for better. He just came up with some good points. There is one match point where I can be a bit frustrated with myself, missing a normal backhand wide, but I think it was important to stay cool and focus on my serve," the Canadian said.
He praised his opponent as well, complimenting him on his gameplay and giving him a tough fight in the closing stages of the match.
"He played some good tennis. Then all of a sudden, he's not missing anymore. I had to earn every point. I really had to go and earn that last game. I'm really happy the way I closed it out," Auger-Aliassime acknowledged.
"Playing indoors is always something where I had a lot of success, and I hope to draw upon this in the future in my career" - Felix Auger-Aliassime
Felix Auger-Aliassime's success in 2022 has depended heavily on his performances on indoor hardcourts. On the surface, he leads the ATP Tour in both matches and trophies won. All of his titles so far have come indoors, and he has made it to the final in five of the six indoor tournaments he has played this season.
With that in mind, Auger-Aliassime stated that while playing on indoor courts gives him a lot of success, he ultimately wants to be an all-around player who can do well on any surface.
"Playing indoors is always something where I had a lot of success, and I hope to draw upon this in the future in my career. But I hope to be an all-arounder and to be able to play well everywhere, in all Grand Slams, in Montreal or elsewhere throughout the year," Felix Auger-Aliassime said.