FOR the sixth time in his career, Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime has lifted an ATP Tour indoor hardcourt trophy, defeating American qualifier and giant-killer Aleksandar Kovacevic in a three-set Open Occitanie final overnight.

Auger-Aliassime has started the year on fire, with a title in Adelaide, and a 9-1 start to the year. Had it not been for a collapse when two sets to love up against Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina at the Australian Open, then his year could have been even better.

Overnight, Auger-Aliassime won 6-2 6-7 7-6, having opportunities to close out the match in straight sets, but was forced to do it the hard way in a decider thanks to the grit and determination from his American opponent. Fresh off a victory over top seed Andrey Rublev and fourth seed Alexander Bublik in the preceding rounds, Kovacevic had shown his credentials for the title.

It looked as though experience and class on indoor hard court would come to the fore early though as Auger-Aliassime raced through the first set 6-2 in just 34 minutes. The Canadian did not face a break point in the set, and converted two of three himself in the fast start.

Kovacevic had to do it the hard way through the second set, going all the way to a tiebreaker where he swatted away two match points. First at 5-6 down, then again at 6-7 down, before winning the last three points of the tiebreaker to stay alive, 9-7.

Neither player could make inroads on the other’s serve during the deciding set, with the first break point actually set up by the American at 5-5. However the second seed was able to save that and get out of trouble, though the qualifier was hardly fazed, sending the match to a second successive tiebreaker after holding to love the very next game.

The tiebreaker was a fizzer though, with Auger-Aliassime winning the first three points, and while Kovacevic cut it back to 2-3, the Canadian strolled to victory by winning four on the trot and taking out the second tiebreaker 7-2, for a memorable 6-2 6-7 7-6 triumph.

“For sure, the craziest final I have played, whether I won or lost,” Auger-Aliassime said post-match. “It was a crazy match. “I couldn’t have got a better start. I was feeling good, but credit to Aleks, he raised his level. “I think it was a very high level on both ends, serving well. “This match deserved to go three sets with the way he was playing in the second.”

Auger-Aliassime smacked 43 winners to 32 with both players recording 40 unforced errors. Continuing his great form on serve, the Canadian produced a massive 19 aces, and the break point in the 11th game of the third set was the only one he faced. Auger-Aliassime won 78 and 63 per cent of his first and second serve points off a healthy 74 per cent clip.

Hitting 18 winners off his forehand side and only two off his backhand, the second seed favoured his more dominant shot, while Kovacevic showed he was not afraid to fire off either wing (12 back, nine forehand) in the tight defeat.

For reaching the final, Kovacevic earned a special exemption into Rotterdam where he will get a taste of another serving machine in the biggest serve in the world, Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. Auger-Aliassime also heads to the Netherlands where he faces Italian Andrea Vavassori in the first round.

2025 OPEN OCCITANIE ATP 250 – FINAL RESULT:

[2] Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) defeated [Q] Aleksandar Kovacevic (USA) 6-2 6-7 7-6