German star Zverev eliminates Tsitsipas in Paris quarter-final as Rune, Humbert, and Khachanov advance to semis.
Alexander Zverev took down long-time rival Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-5, 6-4 in the Paris Masters quarter-finals on Friday, knocking the Greek star out of the ATP Finals race. With the victory, Zverev moves closer to his first Paris title, after previously reaching the final in 2020.
The third-seeded German powered through a tightly contested opening set, breaking Tsitsipas at 5-5 to edge ahead. Once he took control, Zverev’s strong serving and solid baseline play saw him smoothly take the second set. “He was outplaying me at first, but I found my rhythm,” Zverev said on court after the match, adding that he’s “happy with the win.” His victory improves his head-to-head record with Tsitsipas to 6-10.
Zverev’s semi-final opponent will be Holger Rune, the defending Paris champion, who outlasted Australia’s Alex de Minaur in a close 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 battle. Rune’s victory keeps his slim chance of qualifying for the ATP Finals alive. Reflecting on his upcoming match with Zverev, Rune said, “He’s one of the best players this year, so I’ll have to be very well-prepared.”
Frenchman Ugo Humbert thrilled the home crowd with a 6-2, 7-6(4) victory over Australian Jordan Thompson, following his stunning win against World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in the previous round. Humbert now faces Russia’s Karen Khachanov, who defeated Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-3 to advance. Khachanov, the 2018 Paris Masters champion, took out last year’s runner-up in just over an hour, dashing Dimitrov’s own ATP Finals hopes.
With the semi-finals set, Zverev, Rune, Humbert, and Khachanov will each be fighting for a place in the final, as Zverev and Rune also aim to secure their spots in the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin.
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