Tigres need just a draw in the second leg of the semifinals to advance to the Mexican Apertura final after drawing 0-0 with Queretaro on Thursday in the opening playoff match.
In Wednesday's other semifinal, Morelia won 2-1 at home against Santos.
The return legs will be played weekend, with Santos and Morelia playing on Saturday and Tigres taking on Queretaro on Sunday.
Home side Queretaro dominated possession against a defensive Tigres and had the ball in the net in the 28th minute from an Adolfo Bautista header, only for the goal to be disallowed for offside.
Queretaro's Uruguayan striker Carlos Bueno was through on goal just before halftime, but Tigres defender Hugo Ayala recovered to make a last ditch tackle as Bueno was about to shoot.
A deflected shot by Amaury Ponce almost put Queretaro ahead in the 90th, but Tigres keeper Enrique Palos saved it with his leg.
The buildup to the game was dominated by Tigres coach Ricardo Ferretti's comments that current Queretaro coach Jose Cardozo made a death threat toward him in 2004, when Ferretti was coach and Cardozo was a player at Mexican club Toluca.
Cardozo said he would sue Ferretti and the two didn't shake hands before the game.
In the other match, Morelia attacked from the kickoff and scored two goals in the first 25 minutes.
Jaime Lozano opened the scoring with a shot from 30 yards (meters) in the 13th minute, catching Santos goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez off guard.
Gerardo Lugo added the second in the 24th, heading a right wing cross into the far corner of the net.
Mexican international Oribe Peralta pulled one back for Santos in the 83rd, taking the ball around the keeper after being put through on goal from a defense-splitting pass from Carlos Ochoa.
Santos' Osmar Mares was sent off after receiving his second yellow card in the 87th.
A victory for Santos in the second -leg will send them into the final, while any other result will see Morelia through.
