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Four men left at the 2023 Rolex Paris Masters, as Novak Djokovic, Andrey Rublev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Grigor Dimitrov all recorded victories on Friday.
In the first quarter-final of the day, Grigor Dimitrov ended Hubert Hurkacz’s hopes of playing at the ATP Finals with another impressive performance to make the semi-finals at back-to-back Masters 1000 events.
Stefanos Tsitsipas then continued his dominance over Karen Khachanov with a routine win that extended his lead to 7-1 in the H2H.
In the night session, Novak Djokovic avenged his loss in last year’s final by seeing off Holger Rune in three sets before Andrey Rublev came from a set down to take out Alex de Minaur.
The Russian’s win meant the ATP Finals lineup is now complete, with Rune capturing the 8th and final spot.
Paris Masters 2023 Quarter Final Results
| Winner | Loser | Scoreline |
|---|---|---|
| Novak Djokovic (1) | Holger Rune (6) | 7-5 6-7(2) 6-4 |
| Andrey Rublev (5) | Alex de Minaur (13) | 4-6 6-3 6-1 |
| Stefanos Tsitsipas (7) | Karen Khachanov (16) | 6-3 6-4 |
| Grigor Dimitrov | Hubert Hurkacz (11) | 6-1 4-6 6-4 |
Dimitrov Ends Hurkacz Hopes
Grigor Dimitrov’s revival shows no signs of stopping just yet as he’s through to the semi-finals in Paris thanks to a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 over Hubert Hurkacz.
Dimitrov’s late-season surge saw him make the semi-finals in Shanghai. After playing tough three-setters this week against Musetti and Medvedev, I wasn’t sure he’d have enough in the tank, but so far, he hasn’t let up, staying calm under a barrage of big serves from Hurkacz, who grew into the match after a slow start.
The win ended Hurkacz’s hopes of qualifying for the season-ending championships in Turin. It meant the Pole immediately withdrew from the Moselle Open in Metz, which he’d entered as a last-minute points grab.
My body is feeling well for now; that’s the most important thing. My head is good. If I’m able to play like that on a consistent basis throughout every game, I put myself in a position to do better. Today was no different. A completely different opponent again. Every day, you have to adapt, and I’ve been able to do so these four or five days. Dimitrov on his Paris workload so far.
Match Stats
| Hubert Hurkacz | Grigor Dimitrov | |
|---|---|---|
| Aces | 19 | 9 |
| Double Faults | 2 | 2 |
| 1st Serve Percentage | 62% | 69% |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 76% (35/46) | 82% (40/49) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 46% (13/28) | 64% (14/22) |
| Break Points Saved | 0% (0/3) | 50% (1/2) |
| 1st Return Points Won | 18% (9/49) | 24% (11/46) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 36% (8/22) | 54% (15/28) |
| Break Points Converted | 50% (1/2) | 100% (3/3) |
| Winners | 35 | 30 |
| Unforced Errors | 13 | 6 |
| Net Points Won | 50% (13/26) | 75% (12/16) |
| Max Points In Row | 8 | 7 |
| Service Points Won | 65% (48/74) | 76% (54/71) |
| Return Points Won | 24% (17/71) | 35% (26/74) |
| Total Points Won | 45% (65/145) | 55% (80/145) |
| Max Games In Row | 3 | 3 |
| Service Games Won | 77% (10/13) | 93% (13/14) |
| Return Games Won | 7% (1/14) | 23% (3/13) |
| Total Games Won | 41% (11/27) | 59% (16/27) |
Highlights
Tsitsipas Takes Down Khachanov
A 300th career win for Stefanos Tsitsipas as he comfortably defeated Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-4 to make the last four.
The Greek was the stronger player throughout the 80-minute encounter, and despite relinquishing the early break he earned in set two, he was quick to recover it by breaking to love at 4-4 and serving it out comfortably.
It’s working well. I feel like I can mix up play. It feels good to have so much variety and so much diversity in the way you can play. I take that as an opportunity to keep growing my game and keep looking forward at the many more matches to come and appreciate each moment that comes my way. Tsitsipas on putting some wins together.
Match Stats
| Stefanos Tsitsipas | Karen Khachanov | |
|---|---|---|
| Aces | 4 | 3 |
| Double Faults | 2 | 1 |
| 1st Serve Percentage | 62% | 60% |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 79% (26/33) | 73% (22/30) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 50% (10/20) | 35% (7/20) |
| Break Points Saved | 0% (0/1) | 0% (0/3) |
| 1st Return Points Won | 27% (8/30) | 21% (7/33) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 65% (13/20) | 50% (10/20) |
| Break Points Converted | 100% (3/3) | 100% (1/1) |
| Winners | 25 | 15 |
| Unforced Errors | 9 | 4 |
| Net Points Won | 79% (11/14) | 55% (6/11) |
| Max Points In Row | 9 | 8 |
| Service Points Won | 68% (36/53) | 58% (29/50) |
| Return Points Won | 42% (21/50) | 32% (17/53) |
| Total Points Won | 55% (57/103) | 45% (46/103) |
| Max Games In Row | 3 | 3 |
| Service Games Won | 90% (9/10) | 67% (6/9) |
| Return Games Won | 33% (3/9) | 10% (1/10) |
| Total Games Won | 63% (12/19) | 37% (7/19) |
Highlights
Djokovic Reels In Rune
Novak Djokovic is into his ninth Bercy semi-final thanks to a 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-4 victory over Holger Rune in two hours, 54 minutes.
In a rematch of last year’s final, where Rune captured his first Masters 1000 title, Djokovic started the first set strongly, and when a match point came his way at 5-4 in the second set, it looked like a relatively short night’s work.
However, the Dane saved it and started to hit freely from the baseline, which propelled him through the tiebreak to level the match.
Djokovic wasn’t phased and regrouped quickly in the third, testing Rune’s fitness and grabbing an early break, which he maintained for the entirety of the set, making just one unforced error throughout.
It was quite a similar match to last year’s final, it was any body’s game in every set. I played an awful tie-break in the second set, probably the worst one this year. But again, credit to him for staying mentally tough and playing solid. We have similar games. Move well, defend well and all-round play. He has been playing much better in the past few weeks since working with Boris. It was strange seeing Boris in the opposing box. I wish Holger and him all the best. Djokovic on his win over Rune.
Match Stats
| Novak Djokovic | Holger Rune | |
|---|---|---|
| Aces | 10 | 8 |
| Double Faults | 4 | 3 |
| 1st Serve Percentage | 52% | 70% |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 83% (39/47) | 72% (50/69) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 64% (28/44) | 62% (18/29) |
| Break Points Saved | 0% (0/1) | 25% (1/4) |
| 1st Return Points Won | 28% (19/69) | 17% (8/47) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 38% (11/29) | 36% (16/44) |
| Break Points Converted | 75% (3/4) | 100% (1/1) |
| Winners | 32 | 38 |
| Unforced Errors | 17 | 10 |
| Net Points Won | 72% (18/25) | 71% (25/35) |
| Max Points In Row | 8 | 8 |
| Service Points Won | 74% (67/91) | 69% (68/98) |
| Return Points Won | 31% (30/98) | 26% (24/91) |
| Total Points Won | 51% (97/189) | 49% (92/189) |
| Max Games In Row | 3 | 3 |
| Service Games Won | 94% (16/17) | 82% (14/17) |
| Return Games Won | 18% (3/17) | 6% (1/17) |
| Total Games Won | 56% (19/34) | 44% (15/34) |
Highlights
Rublev Rallies Past De Minaur
Alex de Minaur has proven himself a reliable foil for Andrey Rublev, having won four of their five meetings before last night.
His speedy court coverage can frustrate Rublev, and when the Aussie bagged the first set 6-4, it looked like we were in for more of the same.
However, Rublev, who finally landed at the Masters 1000 level this season, fought back, sticking to his attacking game plan, and his crisp hitting finally started to find some holes in de Minaur’s armoury to make his third M1000 semi-final in a row.
I just had to keep fighting and trying to be more aggressive. He was putting me under a lot of pressure and playing a lot with the legs, and it wasn’t working when I wasn’t taking risks. So I knew I had to go for my shots, and then it started to work. Rublev on his win over de Minaur.
Match Stats
| Alex de Minaur | Andrey Rublev | |
|---|---|---|
| Aces | 5 | 4 |
| Double Faults | 3 | 2 |
| 1st Serve Percentage | 60% | 54% |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 64% (37/58) | 72% (31/43) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 42% (16/38) | 58% (21/36) |
| Break Points Saved | 67% (10/15) | 50% (2/4) |
| 1st Return Points Won | 28% (12/43) | 36% (21/58) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 42% (15/36) | 58% (22/38) |
| Break Points Converted | 50% (2/4) | 33% (5/15) |
| Winners | 19 | 22 |
| Unforced Errors | 13 | 13 |
| Net Points Won | 79% (11/14) | 71% (12/17) |
| Max Points In Row | 4 | 6 |
| Service Points Won | 55% (53/96) | 66% (52/79) |
| Return Points Won | 34% (27/79) | 45% (43/96) |
| Total Points Won | 46% (80/175) | 54% (95/175) |
| Max Games In Row | 3 | 5 |
| Service Games Won | 62% (8/13) | 85% (11/13) |
| Return Games Won | 15% (2/13) | 38% (5/13) |
| Total Games Won | 38% (10/26) | 62% (16/26) |
Highlights
Paris Masters 2023 Semi-Finals
- Novak Djokovic (1) vs Andrey Rublev (5)
- Grigor Dimitrov vs Stefanos Tsitsipas (7)
Who do you think makes the final in Bercy? Let me know in the comments.
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