Kovacevic Upsets Rublev, Sets Montpellier Showdown With Auger-Aliassime

Aleksandar Kovacevic
Aleksandar Kovacevic (photo: Open Occitanie/JB Autissier)

MONTPELLIER/WASHINGTON, February 1, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)

Qualifier Aleksandar Kovacevic of the United States played aggressively against World No. 10 Andrey Rublev during their semifinal match at the Open Occitanie in Montpellier Saturday evening. He stayed alert and alive on his front foot – played most, if not all, of the big points well – and it proved to be a difference maker. Kovacevic beat the top-seeded Rublev from Russia, 7-5, 6-4, in an hour and 35 minutes on Court Patrice Dominguez for the biggest upset this week at the ATP 250-series indoor hard-court event in southern France.

Kovacevic’s victory – his 20th in just his 52nd tour-level match and second tour-level semifinal – tasted sweet. After all, it’s merely the biggest win of the American’s nascent career – and it lifted him into his first ATP Tour final after going 0-4 against Top-10 opponents. He’s also the first qualifier in Montpellier tournament history to reach the final.

The 102nd-ranked, 26-year-old from the Upper West Side of New York City stayed focused throughout the semifinal, hitting nine aces and 26 winners overall. He won 80 percent of his first-serve points, saved four of five break points, converted three of five against Rublev and outpointed his opponent 69-63. Rublev countered with eight aces of his own and hit 25 winners. However, he was undone by 27 unforced errors – and many of them proved costly. Now, he’s just the second American player in tournament history to reach the final.

“It seems like every day we have the same conversation about the best match I’ve ever played,” Kovacevic said in his on-court interview. Just a day earlier, he knocked off defending champion Alexander Bublik in straight sets.  “Definitely, my level this week has been good. Andrey’s an incredible player. I’ve been watching him for years while I’ve been coming up. He’s set the bar for being Top-10 for as long as I can remember. To step on the court with someone like him is a privilege. I was looking forward to this match.”

Kovacevic jumped out to a 3-0 advantage in the opening set – much to the surprise of the Sud de France Arena crowd – by sandwiching a couple of holds around an early service break before Rublev managed to recover from his slow and sluggish start. Soon, the Russian broke Kovacevic to get back on serve at 3-4 after he whipped a sixth-shot cross-court forehand winner. Rublev showed plenty of emotion after he won the seventh game. However, it was short lived. That’s because Kovacevic put away the 46-minute opening set 7-5 after breaking Rublev for the second time, winning a 15-shot rally that ended the first set.

The second set proved Kovacevic’s mettle. At 4-all, he delivered up a couple of second-serve aces to hold for a 5-4 lead, which put himself in the position of garnering the first Top-10 win of his young career. It certainly got Rublev’s attention – but it turned out to be too late.

Suddenly, Kovacevic gained a couple of match points on Rublev’s serve at 15-40 before the Russian countered with his eighth ace up the middle to save one of them. However, Rublev netted a third-shot backhand return on the very next point and Kovacevic – after winning four of the last five points of the semifinal match – found himself thrusted into Sunday’s title final against World No. 23 and second-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada. Kovacevic raised him arms in celebration and the mostly-French crowd responded with huge applause toward the American.

“It helps, obviously, for an underdog like me when you’re playing someone Top-10, you’re playing a lot more free,” said Kovacevic, who has moved up to No. 75 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, three spots off his career-best ranking. “So, until match point, I’m just swinging or else, Andrey’s probably going to rip one down my throat. You gotta go for it against these guys. It’s an honor to be on court with him but if you don’t show up, they’re going to take it, just like they always do. Happy to get the win.”

Auger-Aliassime beats de Jong, advances to 17th ATP Tour final

In the opening semifinal, Felix Auger-Aliassime advanced to his 17th ATP Tour final – and became the first player to reach multiple finals this season following his success last month at Adelaide – after defeating 113th-ranked Jesper de Jong of the Netherlands, 6-4, 7-6 (4), in two hours and three minutes. It was their first meeting on the ATP Tour but one Auger-Aliassime soon won’t forget.

It was the Canadian’s 14th straight win against a player ranked outside the Top 100 but it didn’t come easy. That’s because Auger-Aliassime had to overcome 36 unforced errors and six double faults against de Jong. He did so thanks to hitting 34 winners, including 12 aces, and pressured his opponent by creating 13 break-point opportunities – two of which he converted.

After Auger-Aliassime won a 49-minute opening set, which was set up by a break-point conversion in the seventh game, he stood his ground and took the second set to a tiebreaker. During the tie-break, Auger-Aliassime jumped ahead 3-1 with a cross-court, forehand passing shot winner and maintained a break lead at 4-2. Then, de Jong brought the tie-break back on serve after a double fault by Auger-Aliassime. However, the Montreal native soon gained a match point with a forehand winner and closed out the victory with a ninth-shot forehand winner.

“The second set was very tricky, up and down,” Auger-Aliassime said during his on-court interview. “I think I had a great start. I was unlucky when I did not break right away [in the second set]. Then, I started serving less good and it kept him in the match. I’m glad I was able to come back and win in two sets. 

“You know, not every match is going to be a straight road forward, so this was the case. To pull it out in straight sets is a great thing.”

Credit to de Jong, who had already taken out the No. 3 seed (Flavio Cobolli of Italy) and No. 5 seed (Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands) earlier in the week, for turning the semifinal into a difficult and challenging match for Auger-Aliassime to win. It turned out to be two tough and tight sets.

“I saw [Jesper] play last year. He had some great matches at the French Open. I’ve seen him play more on clay. I think he’s going to play good everywhere,” Auger-Aliassime said of de Jong, who improved his ranking to No. 109 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, six places from his career-high. “He’s got a lot of tools in his game. He can do a lot of things. He can adjust. Credit to him and his camp for the work he’s done. We’re the same age [24]. I feel like I’ve known his name for a long time. He keeps on improving. I like his mentality as well. He’s a fighter.”

Looking back, Auger-Aliassime was pushed by de Jong to earn his 52nd career indoor victory – and his 10th victory overall this season in 11 outings. It advanced him to his first indoor final since 2022 at Basel. After suffering a back injury near the end of 2024, which forced him to miss the season-ending Rolex Paris Masters, Auger-Aliassime has begun 2025 with a renewed sense of spirt and fitness.

“I was very focused until the end, until match point, until the last ball,” Auger-Aliassime said. “I’ve lost matches like this where you miss a forehand and all of a sudden, you’re in the third set or in a fifth set, like in Grand Slams. So, I was trying to stay very calm and very focused until the end.”

Around the Open Occitanie

Tallon Griekspoor and Bart Stevens

Tallon Griekspoor and Bart Stevens (photo: Open Occitanie/JB Autissier)

Dutch duo Tallon Griekspoor and Bart Stevens advanced to Sunday’s doubles final after defeating fourth seeds Sander Arends of the Netherlands and Luke Johnson of Great Britain, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 10-6, in an hour and 26 minutes on Court Patrice Dominguez Saturday afternoon.

Griekspoor and Stevens combined for four aces, won 67 percent of their first-serve points and converted three of seven break points.

They outpointed Arends and Johnson, who earlier this season teamed to win the title at Hong Kong, 68-66.

In the title match, Griekspoor and Stevens will face fellow Dutchmen Robin Haase and Botic van de Zandschulp. Griekspoor and van de Zandschulp will team in next week’s ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam.

Saturday’s Open Occitanie results

Sunday’s Open Occitanie order of play

By the numbers

Felix Auger-Aliassime is 14-0 versus players ranked outside the Top 100 since losing to No. 119 Michael Mmoh in the first round at Wimbledon in 2023. Sunday’s final against Aleksandar Kovacevic will be their second meeting. Previously, Auger-Aliassime defeated Kovacevic 6-3, 6-1 in the first round of the 2024 Cincinnati Masters.

“Quotable …”

“My game is more disciplined. I feel like last year I had some brilliant shots but also moments where I made a lot of mistakes. But now, two straight-sets wins, [I am] more solid and I am happy with that because that’s the goal. Hopefully I go one more step and get to the finals on Sunday.”

– No. 2 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada, during his on-court interview on Friday after advancing to the semifinal round, asked about his new approach to his play this season.

 

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