Defending champion Auger-Aliassime beats Wawrinka to return to Montpellier quarter-finals – Tennis Now
By Richard Pagliaro Thursday, February 5, 2026
Photo credit: Tennis TV
Felix Auger-Aliassime Continue ascending under the roof.
Today, defending champion Auger-Aliassime closed the Stan Wawrinka Entered the quarterfinals of Montpellier.
Top-seeded Auger-Aliassime hit 16 aces and saved three of four break points to defeat Wawrinka 6-4, 7-6(3) and reach the quarterfinals for the ninth time in the past 10 games since early August.
Auger-Aliassime made his first appearance against Wawrinka in the pair’s first meeting since last month when he withdrew from his Australian Open opener against Nuno Borges due to cramps.
“I know him very well. I see that he is a legendary player,” Auger-Aliassime said of Varkina. “His toughness, hard work, he’s a role model for all our young players.
“We’ve never played before, which is crazy. It’s great to share the court with him.”
Auger-Aliassime, who leads the ATP Tour with 86 indoor wins this decade, committed two forehand errors in game seven to earn a double break point. When Wawrinka double-faulted, the Canadian broke serve and took a 4-3 lead. Auger-Aliassime passed a forehand cross, chasing the score to 15 points, 5-3.
Auger-Aliassime saved two break points on serve, hit his fifth ace and a service winner, then served again to seize a set lead after 41 minutes.
The 40-year-old Wawrinka fought back after the break and tied the score at 3 in the 15th set.
The three-time Grand Slam champion held serve consecutively to lead 6-5. Auger-Aliassime responded with a beautiful hold to force a second-set decider.
Luck favored the 25-year-old Canadian, who won a mini-break with a forehand volley, and then his forehand return hit the ball and crawled over, earning another mini-break and a 4-1 lead. Auger-Aliassime hit two aces in a row and won five match points.
On his third match point, Auger-Aliassime dropped another service point to return to the quarterfinals. The world number eight will face a French player, either sixth seed Arthur Fels, who is coming back from a back injury, or the lucky loser Ugo Blanchet, for a spot in the semifinals.
earlier, World Ranking 106 Luca Nardi Upset second seed Flavio Coboli 6-2, 6-3 An all-Italian match. It was Nardi’s fourth tour-level victory over Davis Cup hero Coboli in as many matches.
Nardi will compete for a semifinal spot against American qualifier Martin Damm, Jr. Damm, who defeated Hubert Hulkac in the last round, hit 11 aces in 55 minutes and won 22 of 27 first-serve points, eliminating Roberto Bautista Agut 6-1, 6-3.
