The ATP Paris Masters quarterfinal slate is absolutely stacked with four intriguing matchups. Alex de Minaur, Hubert Hurkacz, Karen Khachanov, and Holger Rune are all still fighting for a spot in the ATP Finals in Turin. The match of the day kicks off the night session with the aforementioned Rune taking on six-time Paris champion Novak Djokovic. But who will advance to the semis?
ATP Paris Quarterfinal Predictions
Grigor Dimitrov vs Hubert Hurkacz
Head-to-Head: Dimitrov 3-0 Hurkacz
Both Grigor Dimitrov and Hubert Hurkacz have been playing phenomenal tennis to close out this season. Dimitrov’s current ranking of world No. 17 is his best since May 2021. He has taken down Musetti, Medvedev, and Bublik in Paris, and has not dropped a match against a player ranked outside the top ten in two months. Hurkacz is playing for a spot in the ATP Finals, riding his serve to a 13-2 record in October. Expect a tiebreak or two in this match. Who will raise their level when it matters most? I will go with the vet.
Prediction: Dimitrov in 3
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Karen Khachanov
Head-to-Head: Tsitsipas 6-1 Khachanov
Stefanos Tsitsipas is coming off his first top ten win of the year – an impressive 7-6 6-4 performance against Alexander Zverev. He takes on Karen Khachanov in the ATP Paris Masters quarterfinals, a playre he has had a lot of previous success against. That said, the Russian picked up his only victory over the Greek during their matchup in Miami earlier this year. If Tsitsipas strikes the ball similarly to how did against Zverev, he should have no problem getting by the No. 16 seed.
Prediction: Tsitsipas in 2
Alex de Minaur vs Andrey Rublev
Head-to-Head: de Minaur 3-1
Alex de Minaur is still playing for a spot in the ATP Finals. The only way he gets there is by winning this event. He’ll start by looking for a second Masters semifinal appearance by taking down No. 5 Andrey Rublev. De Minaur bested the Russian 6-4 6-4 earlier this year on the indoor hard courts of Rotterdam. The Aussies’ speed counteracts the speed of the court, and he should be fresh after receiving a walkover against Jannik Sinner in the Round of 16. Rublev has looked solid through two matches in Paris, but I expect de Minaur to bring a high-level of intensity into this battle.
Prediction: de Minaur in 3
Novak Djokovic vs Holger Rune
Head-to-Head: Djokovic 1-2 Rune
In arguably the match of the day, six-time ATP Paris Master champion Novak Djokovic takes on reigning champion Holger Rune. In fact, Rune came from a set down to beat Djokovic during last year’s final. The young Dane is on the brink of qualifying for the 2023 ATP Finals, and a win on Friday would go a long way. Djokovic was blitzed by Tallon Griekspoor in the Round of 16. I expect Rune to follow the Dutchman’s game plan of jumping all over Djokovic’s second serve. Look for the young Dane to be ultra-aggressive. He has a good chance to improve his winning streak over Djoker to three.
Prediction: Rune in 3
Main Photo Credit: John E. Sokolowski – USA TODAY Sports
