The four
semifinalists of the
Paris Masters have been decided, setting up an open draw
with two former champions still in the race. The absence of Novak Djokovic and
Jannik Sinner, along with the early exit of Carlos Alcaraz, leaves the
semifinals wide open.
Alexander
Zverev is the top remaining seed (No. 3) and has a prime opportunity to reach
another Masters 1000 final, although he will face the 2022 champion Holger
Rune, who has been playing his best tennis at one of his favorite venues. The
other semifinal match sees local hope
Ugo Humbert taking on the 2017 champion
Karen Khachanov in what could be a surprising showdown.
Rune vs.
Zverev
Alexander
Zverev has taken full advantage of his seeding at the Paris Masters, advancing
smoothly through the rounds. The German defeated Tallon Griekspoor in the first
round and then eliminated local Arthur Fils, one of the season's most
consistent players. In the quarterfinals, Zverev had a challenging encounter
against Stefanos Tsitsipas but overcame it in straight sets, narrowing their
head-to-head record to 6-10.
Facing him
is
Holger Rune, the 2022 champion who took the tennis world by surprise last
year by beating Novak Djokovic in the final, securing wins over four top-10
players along the way. Last week, Rune reached the semifinals at the Swiss
Indoors and has continued his strong performance this week in Paris, with wins
over Matteo Arnaldi, Alexander Bublik, Arthur Cazaux, and Alex De Minaur.
Rune is now
in his fifth Masters 1000 semifinal, though Zverev leads their head-to-head
2-1, with wins in their two 2024 meetings at Roland Garros and the Canadian
Open.
Humbert
vs. Khachanov
Ugo
Humbert, the highest-seeded French player, has showcased his form and
confidence throughout the tournament. The 15th seed secured wins over Brandon
Nakashima and Marcos Giron before facing world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in the
Round of 16, where he earned one of the biggest wins of his career. Riding this
wave of confidence, Humbert defeated Jordan Thompson in straight sets to reach
his first Masters 1000 semifinal.
Humbert is
the first French player to reach the Paris Masters semifinals since Julien
Benneteau in 2017.
Awaiting
him is Karen Khachanov, the 2017 champion, who has had a relatively
inconsistent year compared to past seasons. Currently ranked world No. 21,
Khachanov defeated opponents like Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, Alexei Popyrin,
and Grigor Dimitrov to reach his fifth Masters 1000 semifinal. The Russian
holds the only prior win over Humbert, though that came at the 2021 Olympic
Games before Humbert's breakthrough into the top 30.
Schedule - Day Six
2024 Rolex Paris Masters (11-01)
Court 1
Quarterfinal - Final |
6Wesley Koolhof-6Nikola Mektic |
7 7 |
3Rohan Bopanna-3Matthew Ebden |
6 5 |
Quarterfinal - Final |
Ariel Behar-Robert Galloway |
4 2 |
Neal Skupski-Michael Venus |
6 6 |
Quarterfinal - Final |
Sadio Doumbia-Fabien Reboul |
6 4 |
Lloyd Glasspool-Adam Pavlasek |
7 6 |
Round 1 - 2nd |
4Max Purcell-4Jordan Thompson |
6 3 |
8Harri Heliovaara-8Henry Patten |
7 0 |
Court Central
Quarterfinal - Final |
10Stefanos Tsitsipas |
5 4 |
3Alexander Zverev |
7 6 |
Quarterfinal - Final |
9Alex De Minaur |
4 6 5 |
13Holger Rune |
6 4 7 |
Quarterfinal - Final |
15Ugo Humbert |
6 7 |
Jordan Thompson |
2 6 |
Quarterfinal - Final |
Karen Khachanov |
6 6 |
8Grigor Dimitrov |
2 3 |