Felix Auger-Aliassime faced two strong opponents, each with powerful serves, and both matches had tense moments. However, his exceptional confidence and current momentum carried him through, allowing him to win in straight sets without dropping a set, defeating Gabriel Diallo 6-2, 7-5, and Marin Cilic 7-6, 7-6.
The Canadian has been remarkably consistent ever since the tour shifted from grass to hard courts a few months ago, reaching at least the quarterfinals in all five tournaments he has entered, including this week’s Basel. His strong form took another step forward last week on the indoor hard courts in Brussels, where he captured the title.
Delivering strong performances in back-to-back weeks is never easy, but Felix Auger-Aliassime has already shown he can handle this challenge during the European indoor swing in the past. He will aim to replicate that form in the coming weeks, which could strengthen his slim chances for Turin. Notably, he won three consecutive titles during the European indoor swing in 2022, despite previously struggling with a mental block in championship matches. Additionally, he is a two-time former champion at ATP Basel.
Jaume Munar fully capitalized on Ben Shelton’s lack of fitness and match rhythm in recent weeks to secure an impressive straight-sets victory in the second round of ATP Vienna. His previous campaigns at this venue in 2015 and 2022 ended in the qualifying rounds, but he has now reached the quarterfinals without dropping a set, highlighting the significant progress he has made on hard courts in 2025.
Though Ben Shelton’s current injury situation certainly played a role in Munar’s success, it would be wrong to attribute it solely to that factor. The Spaniard has raised his level significantly against higher-ranked opponents in 2025, winning six of 13 matches against top-20 players over the past ten months, including three victories over Shelton in as many encounters.
Munar’s improvement on hard courts this year has been one of the standout success stories of the season. For context, he had won only two main-draw matches in tour-level indoor events before 2025, but he has already gone 5-1 in 2025. This marks his second quarterfinal appearance, having previously reached the semifinals in Dallas.
Head-to-head: Jaume Munar leads 2-1, all matches on clay. A year ago, Munar would have been considered an easy opponent for Felix Auger-Aliassime on indoor hard courts. However, the Spaniard has significantly improved his non-clay game and shown strong performances against top-20 players, meaning he must now be taken seriously and approached with caution. Still, the Canadian can be trusted to handle the challenge, given his current momentum and excellent track record on European indoor courts.
