Felix Auger Aliassime claims Alex de Minaur has made a ‘very interesting’ change ahead of their US Open clash

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Felix Auger-Aliassime is bidding to become a Grand Slam semifinalist for the second time at the US Open.

The Canadian player reached the last four in 2021 before losing out to eventual winner Daniil Medvedev in straight sets.

Four years on, Auger-Aliassime is a more rounded player, and the world number 27 finds Australian star Alex de Minaur in his way of making the semifinal.

Auger-Aliassime was thrashed by Jannik Sinner at Cincinnati in the warm-up to the US Open but he looks very evenly matched with De Minaur, and the match looks an intriguing one.

• READ MORE: Alex de Minaur confused by US Open organisers

Auger-Aliassime shares where De Minaur has seriously improved

De Minaur has been outspoken on the courts at the US Open but it would appear that he’s got to grips with them quite well at this year’s event.

Going into the tournament, De Minaur was advised what he needed to do to win a major title, and it would appear that he’s taken some sort of feedback on board.

Auger-Aliassime has been impressed, and he’s noticed a big improvement in the player’s game in recent months.

He said in his press conference: “His strengths were always his movement and his ability to keep the ball in play and to counter the speed of the player, and to just defend.

“But what has been very interesting is that he has added stepping into his court a lot more. That is why he’s in the position he is in today.

“He now has very much the ability to step in as soon as you give him a chance and to come early in the court and to punish you. That is why his game is even more complete than it was in the past.

“I think every player tries to improve, and we all know the locker room, the strengths of players and what they need to improve.

“The question is whether you can improve, and he has. That is why he has been consistently in the top 10 for a bit of time.”

Auger-Aliassime vs De Minaur head-to-head

This feels like a very closely contested match-up, and it really is anyone’s guess as to who will prevail.

The pair have actually met on three previous occasions, with the Canadian holding the edge, winning two matches to De Minaur’s one.

It’s clichéd but the form will go out of the window for this one, with this meeting set to be the first time that the two have met at a Grand Slam event.

This match represents a huge chance for both players to reach an unlikely semifinal and it will be fascinating to see who comes through to set up a last-four date.