ATP Paris Masters 2024: Alexander Zverev advances to semifinals with straight-sets win over Stefanos Tsitsipas

Alexander Zverev moved into the semi-finals of the Paris Masters with a straight-sets victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Accor Arena.

Zverev, seeded third in the French capital, needed an hour and 44 minutes to dispatch Tsitsipas and close the gap on the Greek in the pair’s head-to-head record, with Tsitsipas, the world No 11, leading 10-6.

However, Zverev, chasing a first Paris Masters title after losing in the 2020 final to Daniil Medvedev, was the man here.

He came through 7-5 6-4 to book his place in the last four, where he will face either Holger Rune, the 2022 champion.

The win meant Zverev became just the eighth player in history to reach 20 ATP Masters 1000 semi-finals, joining an exclusive club with the likes of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray.

The German, currently ranked third in the world, was at his usual blistering best at the back of the court, knocking down serves, facing just one break point throughout the match and dominating on both wings.

He earned the match’s elusive first break at 6-5 in the first before firing a big serve that Tsitsipas could only palm into the net to take the first set.

An expert forehand line winner was the highlight of his second break of serve at 1-1 in the second set as he deftly directed the ball into the driving lane where Tsitsipas raced the net to serve and volley.

Zverev brought three match points to seal the deal but needed just one as he crashed a final emphatic serve to move into the last four.

“I thought the whole match was a very good level from him,” Zverev said. “He started hot, had some good chances to break me at the start. Maybe not break points-wise, but game-wise.

“I came into the match and I found my rhythm and felt more and more comfortable and am happy with the win.

“I felt like I could hit it pretty hard today, and against him, if you just push it back, he’s going to make you pay.

“He’s someone up front who can be so aggressive and he can move forward. So I was happy to take that away.”

The defeat to Tsitsipas means he is out of contention for the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in Turin, which begins on November 10.

In the second quarter-final, Holger Rune beat Alex de Minaur in three sets.

The Dane won 6-4 4-6 7-5 to level the Australian in a lung-busting match that featured several long rallies, with Rune almost blowing a break advantage in the decider to reach the last four.

“He put up so much against me. He made every ball with quality, deep in the pitch and the pitch is pretty fast here,” Rune said.

“I had to adjust my game a bit and it was a constant battle, but the way I handled the last few games was very good. I went for it, I got it and I’m very happy .

“Sascha (Zverev) and I had a great match in Paris where he took it in five. I beat him once, he took me last time. He’s one of the best players this year so I’ll have to to be very well prepared and recover physically and build on the level from this match.”

With the win, Rune’s outside shout for a place in Turin remains intact, but he will likely need to win the tournament to have any chance of qualifying for the season finale.

Elsewhere, Karen Khachanov overcame a four-match losing streak against Grigor Dimitrov by beating the Bulgarian 6-2, 6-3 on Friday night.

The defeat puts Dimitrov out of Nitto ATP Finals contention. The 33-year-old first needed to beat Khachanov and then progress to the final to overtake De Minaur in eighth place and claim a place in Turin.

Khachanov will face local hope Humbert, who beat Australia’s Jordan Thompson 6-2, 7-6 (4) a day after beating world No. 2 Alcaraz.

It is Humbert’s first Masters semi-final and the first time a Frenchman has made the last four in Paris in seven years.