Felix Auger-Aliassime is the only remaining seeded player in Montpellier, and he will be joined by two qualifiers in the semi-finals. The lineup for Saturday is Auger-Aliassime vs. Titouan Droguet and Martin Damm vs. Adrian Mannarino.
(1) Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. (Q) Titouan Droguet
Auger-Aliassime pulled out of his first-round match at the Australian Open last month, but a return trip to the Occitanie Open appears to be just what the doctor ordered. The top seed and defending champion followed up a bye with outright wins over Stan Wawrinka and Arthur Fils.
The Auger-Aliassime tie turns friendlier in the semi-final on Saturday, with Droguet on the other side of the net. The French qualifier is ranked 150th in the rankings and had won just three main tour matches during his career before arriving in Montpellier. Droguet has advanced with victories over Jan Choinski, Aleksandar Kovacevic and Tallon Greekpoor. A step up in competition against one of the best indoor players in the world will likely end the 24-year-old’s breakthrough tournament.
Choice: Auger-Aliassime in 2
Adrian Mannarino vs. (Q) Martin Damm
Mannarino and Damm will also face each other for the first time in their careers on Saturday. Although Mannarino was losing matches left and right prior to this week, a semi-final appearance is no surprise considering the setting is an indoor hard court in France. The 37-year-old left-hander is a completely different player when you put him on this type of field or on grass. He performs again in front of his own audience and conquers a place in the last four with defeats by Pedro Martinez, Ugo Humbert and Arthur Gea.
Damm’s best ever result came at the expense of Hubert Hurkacz, Roberto Bautista Agut and Luca Nardi – all in straight sets. Through three rounds in the main draw, the 6-foot-4 American has fired 40 aces and faced just two break points. In five matches (two in qualifying), Damm has not dropped his serve once. With the 22-year-old cruising and Mannarino coming off two very tough games, the much younger player should have the edge in this far-left showdown.
Choice: Damm in 3
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