Auger-Aliassime in Stuttgart Open semis, Denis Shapovalov out

STUTTGART: One up-and-coming Canadian tennis player edged into the semifinals of the Stuttgart Open but another fell short.

Felix Auger-Aliassime needed two tiebreaks to beat Ugo Humbert of France 7-6 (5), 7-6 (8).

Canada's Auger-Aliassime failed to convert three match points in the second-set tiebreak and had to save set point twice before winning three straight points to seal the quarterfinal.

That set up a semifinal for Auger-Aliassime against Sam Querrey of the United States, who recovered from a set down to beat fast-climbing Swiss 18-year-old Dominic Stricker, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4), 6-3.

Top-ranked Canadian Denis Shapovalov lost another close match 7-5, 7-6 (3) against veteran former U.S.Open champion Marin Cilic.

It was always likely to be a tough match for Shapovalov because he was playing for the second time on Friday after ousting Feliciano Lopez 6-2, 6-7 (2), 6-3 in the finish of a second-round match delayed from Thursday because of rain.

Cilic's semifinal opponent is Austrian Jurij Rodionov, who upset fourth-seeded Australian Alex de Minaur 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4).