(Photo credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images)
Defending champion Felix Auger-Aliassime delivered 20 aces while posting a 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1 victory over French qualifier Titouan Droguet on Saturday to return to the finale of the Open Occitanie in Montpellier, France.
The top-seeded Auger-Aliassime of Canada had 47 winners against 29 unforced errors and saved all three break points while knocking off Droguet, who made a nice run into his first tour-level semifinal. Droguet had 14 aces among 30 winners and committed 37 unforced errors.
Auger-Aliassime will be searching for his ninth career title when he faces France's Adrian Mannarino, who rallied for a 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over American qualifier Martin Damm. Mannarino, 37, had 11 aces to become the oldest finalist in the event's history. He has won five ATP titles.
Damm had 23 aces and the big hitter delivered 41 winners against 35 unforced errors. By comparison, Mannarino had 19 winners and 14 unforced errors.
--Field Level Media
