Things are heating up at the Shanghai Masters, and Felix Auger-Aliassime is showing no signs of letting up. The Canadian has battled his way back into the Top 10 with his stunning form since the North American swing and is now owning the Asian tour. He came into the round of 16 riding a strong wave of stats. The Canadian defeated De Jong 6-4, 7-5 in an hour and 41 minutes, firing seven aces against three double faults. He won 77% of his first-serve points and 63% on the second, while holding 28% and 47% of points on serve. And against Lorenzo Musetti he’s raised the level even higher.

On Wednesday, Auger-Aliassime delivered a clinical show in a high-stakes fourth-round clash with the Italian. The 12th seed eased past Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals at the Chinese ATP Masters 1000 event. He converted three of six break points in an 85-minute statement win inside Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena.

Journalist Jose Morgado highlighted the milestone the Canadian had been chasing for three years: “Felix Auger-Aliassime defeats Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-2 to reach the QFs in Shanghai, keeps his Turin hopes alive! Improves to 5-4 vs. top 10 players in 2025 and will face Rinderknech.”

Auger-Aliassime currently sits in 10th place in the ATP Race with 2,905 points, still chasing the qualification cut of 4,850—but there’s plenty left to play for. The Canadian, the current No. 8 in the Race, has a golden chance to close the gap. A deep run in Shanghai could shift the standings dramatically.

If Auger-Aliassime reaches the final, he would be locked in a thrilling three-way battle with De Minaur and Musetti, leaving everything to be decided in the final stretch of the season—with the Paris Masters still on the horizon. And Felix’s game in the match against Musetti shows he’s got what it takes.

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Felix Auger-Aliassime on how he took down the Italian

The 25-year-old was all smiles after taking down Lorenzo Musetti, but he made it clear this wasn’t just any night on court. “That was ‘inspired Felix’ I guess,” he told the ATP website when asked to sum it up. “I felt like I was playing fast, but I was seeing the game slow. It’s weird when you get these kinds of nights.”

Musetti didn’t start poorly, landing 69% of his first serves and winning 67% of those points. But Auger-Aliassime found extra precision when it mattered most, saving three break points and edging ahead by three points in the opener. In set two, the Canadian stayed locked in, wiping out another trio of break chances in the fourth game and keeping Musetti off balance with quick rhythm and heavy depth.

The real shift came in game five. Musetti raced to 40-0, then let Auger-Aliassime claw back into the game. On Musetti’s eighth unforced error, Felix broke serve and pounced on the momentum. Two games later came the match’s longest rally, ending with Musetti’s forehand floating long—another break for Auger-Aliassime and a growing stranglehold on the match.

Felix admitted this performance had been a long time coming. “I’ve been trying to work my way there obviously for a while now, working on this type of game plan, but to execute it live on a match court at this stage against an opponent like this is a different story to practice. I’m very pleased, because to play like this means things are coming along nicely.”

Next up? A Shanghai quarterfinal clash with Arthur Rinderknech. If “inspired Felix” shows up again, we could be talking about his first-ever semifinal here. Let us hear your thoughts in the comments below!