Three Basel quarterfinals end in retirement, ATP Finals hopes take hit for Auger-Aliassime and Ruud

Three of the four quarterfinal matches at the Swiss Indoors Basel Friday ended in retirement. Two of the players to cut their campaigns short at the ATP 500 event were hoping to make up crucial ground as the race to the Nitto ATP Finals winds down.

Felix Auger-Aliassime. No. 9 in the Turin standings, stopped after dropping his opening set 6-3 to Jaume Munar. A left knee injury was listed as the official reason.

Countryman Denis Shapovalov came next, when he trailed Joao Fonseca 4-1 in a deciding set. The left-hander cited a right knee problem, sending the 19-year-old through to his first ATP 500 semifinal.

The day wrapped with Casper Ruud throwing in the towel. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina led 7-6 (1) when the three-time major finalist determined he could not continue, having been visited by a physio for discomfort on his leg/foot (ankle was later provided as the issue). The Norwegian came in at No. 11 in the race, though is the acting No. 10 with Jack Draper having ended his season in September due to injury.

The lone completed match saw Ugo Humbert defeat Reilly Opelka, 7-6 (0), 6-4.

Both Ruud and Auger-Aliassime were coming off ATP 250 triumphs last Sunday at Stockholm and Brussels, respectively. With their Basel bids over, it bodes well for the players in line to qualify for the men’s season-ending championships.

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Alex de Minaur, currently in the seventh qualifying spot, sailed past Matteo Berrettini into the semifinals of this week’s other ATP 500 event in Vienna. If he can overturn a 0-11 record against Jannik Sinner Saturday, the Australian is projected to vault past Taylor Fritz for No. 5, while also bumping Ben Shelton down a position.

Lorenzo Musetti, right behind de Minaur, is also a threat to shake up the standings should he reach the Erste Bank Open final. The Italian closed out last-eight action with a straight-set win over Corentin Moutet for the right to meet second seed Alexander Zverev. An appearance in the championship match would see Musetti overtake Shelton and a trophy lift would propel this year's Roland Garros semifinalist ahead of Fritz.