Auger-Aliassime 16-match win streak halted in Paris semifinals by Holger Rune

Danish teenager Holger Rune beat eighth-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 6-2 in the Paris Masters semifinals on Saturday to stay on course for his first title at this level.

It signalled the end of Auger-Aliassime's 16-match winning run and the 22-year-old Canadian's bid for a fourth straight title.

Last Sunday, the Montreal athlete beat Rune in the Swiss Indoors final.

Auger-Aliassime advanced to the semis with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Frances Tiafoe on Friday.

He earned a spot in the ATP Finals starting Nov. 13 in Turin, Italy, the first time he has qualified for the elite season-ending tournament.

WATCH | Rune puts end to Auger-Aliassime's late-season win streak:

Auger-Aliassime has also played himself into contention for the Lionel Conacher Award, the Canadian Press's male athlete of the year award.

Rune, 19, will play his first Masters final against either six-time Paris Masters champion Novak Djokovic or fifth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas. They were playing their semifinal later Saturday.

Rune, who won both of his career titles this year, reached his fourth straight final of the season.

Contesting his first Masters semifinal, he won 86 per cent of his points on first serve and faced no break points.

Djokovic is aiming for a record-extending seventh Paris Masters title, a record-extending 39th at Masters level, a fifth title this season and 91st career overall.

Djokovic is 8-2 against Tsitsipas and has won seven straight against his Greek opponent. The past three wins have all been in finals, including a five-set thriller at the 2021 French Open, where Djokovic rallied from two sets down.