By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Photo credit: European Open Facebook
Going deep in draws is now tournament tradition for Felix Auger-Aliassime.
The top-seeded Auger-Aliassime broke big-serving Giovanni Mpetshi-Perricard three times in a 6-4, 6-4 sweep to advance to the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships quarterfinals.
It is Auger-Aliassime’s 10th quarterfinal in his last 11 events since the start of August, 2025. The only lapse in that stellar run came in Melbourne when a cramping Auger-Aliassime retired against Nuno Borges in his Australian Open opener in January.
FAA Powers On 🚀
He takes out Mpetshi Perricard 6-4 6-4 to advance to the quarter-finals#DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/dLjAn9azec
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 25, 2026
Facing one of tennis most devastating servers today, Auger-Aliassime took care of his own delivery.
The 2025 US Open semifinalist served 71 percent and won 29 of 35 first-serve points in reaching his 66th Tour-level quarterfinal. Auger-Aliassime improved to 15-1 vs. Frenchman since the start of 2025 with his lone loss coming to Arthur Rinderknech in Shanghai last season.
World No. 8 Auger-Aliassime improved to 11-3 on the season. Continuing his quest for a second title of the year, the Canadian will play either eighth-seeded Czech Jiri Lehecka or Spanish qualifier Pablo Carreno Busta in the quarterfinals.
Third-seeded Daniil Medvedev defeated wild card Stan Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3 to set up a Dubai quarterfinal against Jenson Brooksby. Earlier, Brooksby beat seventh-seeded Karen Khachanov 7-6(6), 6-4 in a match that featured just one break point.