BASEL, Switzerland (AP) — Top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz will face No. 9 Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Swiss Indoors semifinals after both advanced in straight sets Friday.
Alcaraz, who won the U.S. Open last month, clinched a 6-3, 6-4 win against fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta with a service winner.
“It is difficult to play against a friend like Pablo,” the 19-year-old Alcaraz said in a post-match interview on court. “Every day we go and have dinner, lunch together.”
Auger-Aliassime hit 31 winners and made just four unforced errors in a 6-2, 6-3 win over Alexander Bublik.
The 22-year-old Canadian is seeking a third straight title — after wins in Florence, Italy and Antwerp, Belgium this month — and has not faced a break point on his serve in three matches at Basel.
Auger-Aliassime landed in Alcaraz’s half of the draw as the third-seeded player in Basel. Second-seeded Casper Ruud lost in the first round to Stan Wawrinka.
Wawrinka was on court after Alcaraz in a quarterfinal against sixth-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut. The late match was between 19-year-old Holger Rune and Arthur Rinderknech.
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