Felix Auger-Aliassime will play in his first ATP Tour final after defeating world No. 63 Pablo Cuevas 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in the semifinal of the 2019 Rio Open on Saturday.
Saturday's match was the first-ever meeting between 18-year-old Montreal native Auger-Aliassime and 33-year-old Uruguayan Cuevas. The 104th-ranked teenager continued his impressive run at the tournament as all four of the opponents he defeated so far entered the competition with a superior world ranking.
Auger-Aliassime dominated the first set, breaking Cuevas' serve early on to set the tone for the remainder of the frame. With a pair of aces and 90 percent of his first-serve points won in the opening set, the young Canadian looked very much in his element on a steamy evening on the clay in the popular Brazilian city.
Absolutely dominant.
— Tennis Canada (@TennisCanada) February 23, 2019
Félix Auger-Aliassime puts on a serving masterclass and an exhibition in clay-court power hitting, winning the first set 6-3 over Pablo Cuevas.
One set away from the #RioOpen final. Come on! #FélixRising pic.twitter.com/cjczZZkQZQ
On the other side of the court, Cuevas was visibly frustrated as many of his shots went astray. The veteran required attention on his right arm ahead of the second set, delaying the match by several minutes.
Whatever the issue was, it didn't affect Cuevas' play. The Uruguayan found his groove in the second set, converting a pair of break points and showing some guile and finesse to pull himself back into the match.
Point of the week, anyone?@PabloCuevas22 @RioOpenOficial pic.twitter.com/XL7FqGWy97
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 23, 2019
Despite Auger-Aliassime mounting a bit of a comeback after Cuevas had built up a 4-1 lead, the veteran held on to claim the second set and force a deciding frame.
However, the momentum the teenager gained to close the second set carried over into the third and Auger-Aliassime raced to a 3-0 lead to regain control of the match. Cuevas made it interesting by winning three games and fighting off three match points, but in the end Auger-Aliassime proved too much to handle.
First Final for Felix! 🇨🇦
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 23, 2019
At 18-years-old @felixtennis becomes the youngest ever ATP 500 finalist with his 6-3 3-6 6-3 win over Pablo Cuevas to reach the @RioOpenOficial title match. pic.twitter.com/3pGmTIQWcp
Auger-Aliassime will meet Laslo Dere of Serbia in the final on Sunday. The Canadian is the youngest player to ever reach the final of an ATP 500 event.