Novak Djokovic was on the brink of becoming the latest upset victim at the Rolex Paris Masters on Thursday night. Instead, he battled back from a set down to defeat Tallon Griekspoor and advance to his ninth straight quarter-final at the event.

The Serbian won the final eight points of the match to escape with a 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-4 victory, extending his winning streak to 15 matches and tightening his grip on the No. 1 Pepperstone ATP Ranking. He now leads Carlos Alcaraz — who was upset by Roman Safiullin in his Paris opener — by 670 points in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, which serves as a barometer in the battle for year-end No. 1.

Following the match, Djokovic revealed he was struggling with a stomach issue — though he was full of praise for Griekspoor’s effort.

“I don’t want to take anything away from his performance. He didn’t drop the level,” the Serbian said. “Maybe in the third set a few games he did a bit, but he was playing at a very high level and credit to him for that performance. If he would be the winner tonight, it would be absolutely deserved. 

“I started off well but I ran out of steam. I’ve been struggling the last couple of days with my stomach and I just didn’t feel myself at all. I was just trying to hold my serve and get to a tie-break, which happened in the second. I got lucky on a couple of shots there. It could have easily gone his way, but overall I played a good tie-break and I started to feel better in the third. I’m really, really glad to overcome this challenge.”

The result kept Djokovic on course for his record-extending seventh Paris singles title by reaching his 11th quarter-final at the ATP Masters 1000. It’s the Serbian’s 10th quarter-final in 11 events this season, the lone exception a third-round exit in Monte-Carlo.

Griekspoor provided a stern test behind a brilliant serving performance, and stunned the World No. 1 by winning five straight games — including a run of 10 consecutive points — to snatch the opening set from 1-4. Finding joy with his loopy forehand swing, the Dutch No. 1 then created three break points in the second set as he pressed home his advantage.

Djokovic held firm with two big serves to erase break chances at 4-4 and then demonstrated his uncanny ability in tie-breaks with a near-flawless performance to regain control of the centre court showdown. On the season, Djokovic is now 27-5 in tie-breaks according to ATP Infosys Stats, the best record on the ATP Tour.

Griekspoor remained a threat in the final set, breaking for the third time to level the decider at 4-4 before Djokovic snapped back to win the final two games of the match to love.

Next up for Djokovic — the lone top four seed in the quarters — is a meeting with sixth seed Holger Rune or Germany’s Daniel Altmaier. A fourth Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Rune would give Djokovic a chance to level their series at 2-2; the Dane beat Djokovic in last year’s Paris final and again this season in the Rome quarters.

Griekspoor moved up two places this week to No. 21 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, setting himself up to achieve a career high for the second straight week in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

Can Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow ride their red-hot late-season form all the way to the Nitto ATP Finals?

The American pair maintained its push for a debut at the prestigious season finale Thursday at the Rolex Paris Masters, where it overcame rivals Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 7-5, 7-6(5) to reach the quarter-finals. Lammons and Withrow converted two of the seven break points they earned to clinch their 94-minute triumph and set a last-eight clash with Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury.

Lammons and Withrow have lifted four tour-level titles since July (Newport, Atlanta, Winston-Salem, Astana) and their run so far on debut at the ATP Masters 1000 in Paris-Bercy has consolidated them in eighth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings.

An eighth-place finish won’t be enough for Lammons and Withrow to book a spot at the prestigious season finale this year, however, after Australian Open winners Rinky Hijikata and Jason Kubler’s qualification as the only Grand Slam champions to finish the regular season between eighth and 20th was confirmed earlier on Thursday. Lammons and Withrow therefore need to overhaul Gonzalez and Molteni in seventh to reach Turin — the Argentines are currently 355 points ahead of the Americans.

Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski extended their winning streak in Paris-Bercy to five matches by defeating Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev 6-4, 7-6(5). The 2022 champions began their title defence by wrapping a 93-minute win to set a quarter-final with Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin, whose Nitto ATP Finals qualification was also confirmed on Thursday.

Harri Heliovaara and Mate Pavic ended Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer’s chances of reaching Turin for the second straight year. The Finnish-Croatian duo notched a 6-4, 6-4 win against the eighth seeds in Paris, where they will next take on top seeds Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek.

Stefanos Tsitsipas has qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals for the fifth consecutive year. The Greek will join Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner and Andrey Rublev at the season finale, which will be played at the Pala Alpitour in Turin from 12-19 November.

“It’s awesome. What a great relief to finally get that spot,” Tsitsipas said. “I’ve been working extremely hard the whole year… and it’s a moment of relief that I’ve made it to one of my favourite events of the year and I get the opportunity to play in from my Italian fans, but also get some Greek people in.”

🚨 The 2019 #NittoATPFinals Champions has qualified 🚨

How will @steftsitsipas close the 2023 season? 🙌 pic.twitter.com/QXS0EhOtyO

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 2, 2023

Tsitsipas made his debut at the year-end championships in 2019, capturing the prestigious title aged 21. The victory made him the youngest Nitto ATP Finals champion since a 20-year-old Lleyton Hewitt in 2001.

Now 25, Tsitsipas earned his way to the tournament with deep runs at some of the world’s biggest tournaments. The Greek advanced to his second major final at the Australian Open and also reached the championship match in Barcelona. 

Tsitsipas won his 10th ATP Tour trophy in Los Cabos, marking his sixth consecutive season with at least one title. He lost just one set during the week, defeating three Top 30 players en route to the crown.

The Athens native enjoyed a standout clay season, advancing to at least the quarter-finals at all three clay-court ATP Masters 1000 events, including a semi-final showing in Rome. He capped his campaign on clay by making the quarter-finals at Roland Garros. Tsitsipas made a quick start to his year by helping lead Greece to the semi-finals at the inaugural United Cup.

The Stefanos Tsitsipas resurgence continues at the Rolex Paris Masters.

The seventh-seeded Greek powered past Alexander Zverev 7-6(2), 6-4 in a big-serving battle on Thursday afternoon at the French ATP Masters 1000 event. Tsitsipas struck 37 winners, including 10 aces, to notch his 50th tour-level win of the season and simultaneously seal his spot at the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals.

With his one-hour, 59-minute triumph, Tsitsipas improved to 9-4 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Zverev. The 25-year-old, who reached the semi-finals in Paris in 2022, will take on Karen Khachanov next after the 16th seed overcame qualifier Roman Safiullin 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

“It’s awesome. What a great relief to finally get that spot,” said Tsitsipas after sealing his Turin place for the fifth consecutive year. “I’ve been working extremely hard the whole year to be in Turin, and it’s a moment of relief that I’ve made it to one of my favourite events of the year. I get the opportunity to play in front of my Italian fans, but also get some Greek people in.

“I’m thrilled to be playing good tennis. I’m humbled in victory now and I really want to keep going strong and show some of my potential out there on the Bercy court.”

⭐️ WIN NUMBER 𝟓𝟎 OF THE SEASON ⭐️@steftsitsipas punches his ticket into the #RolexParisMasters quarter-final! pic.twitter.com/fGBcJBiCG6

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 2, 2023

After a strong first half of the season, Tsitsipas has struggled in recent months to find his best level. The Greek went 4-6 after lifting his 10th ATP Tour crown in Los Cabos in August, but he showed signs of his best form in semi-final runs in Antwerp and Vienna leading into this week’s Masters 1000 event in the French capital.

Tsitsipas made a lightning-fast start on Thursday inside Accor Arena, opening a 5-2 lead thanks to a break of Zverev’s serve in the second game. He had to retain his composure after Zverev roared back into the set, however, and Tsitsipas did so in style in the tie-break to move ahead.

Zverev was left to rue another lapse on serve early in the second set. Tsitsipas broke in the first game and this time did not let his lead slip as he served out without facing another break point. It was Tsitsipas’ first Top 10 victory of the season, a welcome boost for the Greek against an elite rival as he chases his third Masters 1000 crown before he turns his attention to Turin.

“I’ve talked about putting a lot of hours in on court and working on a lot of things,” said Tsitsipas. “[The return] is one of them. It’s important to keep working on it, there is a lot to work on in my game. I always strive and aim for slight improvements that can perhaps give my game a little bit of a boost in the next few months. Hopefully that improvement will carry on for years to come.”

Despite the disappointment of defeat, Zverev remains in a strong position to join Tsitsipas in the Nitto ATP Finals lineup. The German remains seventh in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, with a 340 point cushion from ninth-placed Hubert Hurkacz. However, both Hurkacz and eighth-placed Holger Rune are still alive in the Paris draw.

Andrey Rublev became just the fourth player this year to earn 20 ATP Masters 1000 match wins when he brushed aside Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals at the Rolex Paris Masters on Thursday.

The fifth seed was at his devastating best against the Dutchman, hammering 18 winners and committing just four unforced errors to advance to his 12th tour-level quarter-final of the season after 65 minutes.

Rublev captured his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title in Monte-Carlo earlier this year and holds a 20-7 record at this level in 2023. Only Carlos Alcaraz (25), Daniil Medvedev (25) and Jannik Sinner (21) have earned more wins at Masters 1000 events in 2023.

Rublev, who will compete at the Nitto ATP Finals later this month, will continue his quest for a third title of the year when he faces fourth seed Jannik Sinner or 13th seed Alex de Minaur in the last eight.

In other action, Grigor Dimitrov backed up his standout win against Daniil Medvedev with a 6-2, 6-2 triumph against Alexander Bublik. The Bulgarian has now advanced to two Masters 1000 quarter-finals this year, having reached the semi-finals in Shanghai last month.

The 32-year-old’s best result in Paris was a semi-final run in 2019. He will aim to match that feat when he takes on Hubert Hurkacz or Francisco Cerundolo on Friday.

Grigor Dimitrov” style=”width: 100%;” />
_{^{Photo Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour}}

Two more doubles teams have qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals. Santiago Gonzalez/Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Rinky Hijikata/Jason Kubler are the sixth and seventh teams to guarantee their place at the season finale, which will be held at the Pala Alpitour in Turin from 12-19 November.

Gonzalez and Roger-Vasselin have enjoyed a standout year in their first season as a team. The Mexican-French duo has claimed four titles, including an ATP Masters 1000 trophy in Miami.

The veteran pair — Gonzalez is 40 and Roger-Vasselin turns 40 later this month — also emerged victorious in Marseille, Los Cabos and Basel.

Gonzalez will make his debut at the Nitto ATP Finals, while Roger-Vasselin will compete for the third time with a third partner. In 2014, he played with Julien Benneteau and in 2020 he qualified with Jurgen Melzer and reached the championship match.

Rinky Hijikata and Jason Kubler” />

Hijikata and Kubler will both make their season finale debut in Turin. The Australians earned their spot at the year-end championships by winning the Australian Open and being the only Grand Slam champions to finish the regular season between eighth and 20th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings.

Once they reached the quarter-finals in Melbourne, Hijikata and Kubler did not lose a set the rest of the tournament. The home favourites defeated two teams that have also qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals: Wesley Koolhof/Neal Skupski and Marcel Granollers/Horacio Zeballos.

Only one place remains in the doubles field at the Pala Alpitour. Argentines Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni are currently in the best position to qualify.

Rafael Nadal is a sporting icon and he provides a role model for fledgling stars who dream of their own career on the professional tour. However, the 22-time Grand Slam champion not only sets an example for young players, he is also a source of inspiration for the veterans

Enrique Ayala is one of them. The nonagenarian tennis player won the Over-90 Spanish Championship in June, defeating Manuel Villanueva in two sets in the final of the event, which was held at the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar.

There, on the clay courts of Manacor, as he received his trophy, he was unaware of the misfortune that would soon come his way. After returning from Mallorca, he caught COVID-19 and spent almost two months in critical condition in UCI.

During his time battling with the virus, Ayala received a very special message. Nadal, upon hearing the news, did not hesitate to send him a video of support that, according to the patient himself, had “a great influence” on his recovery, along with the fact that he is so active so late in his life.

In the message, as well as encouraging Ayala, Nadal invited him to a meeting at some point in the future. That meeting happened last week at his Academy.

Four months after claiming his title, Ayala visited Mallorca to meet Nadal, who not only inspires young players, but the odd veteran too.

It is a big week for Holger Rune, who is trying to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time.

Instead of wilting under the pressure against former World No. 3 Dominic Thiem on Wednesday evening, the defending champion rose to the occasion with a 6-4, 6-2 victory to reach the third round of the Rolex Paris Masters.

The 20-year-old is eighth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, the last qualifying spot for the season finale, which begins on 12 November. He is doing everything in his power to hold onto his position, with ninth-placed Hubert Hurkacz 215 points behind.

It has not been the easiest second half of the year for Rune, who has won just four matches since Wimbledon. But with former World No. 1 Boris Becker now his coach, the Dane found form last week in Basel, where he advanced to the semi-finals. And now he is back at the location of his maiden ATP Masters 1000 triumph.

Rune faced an opponent in Thiem who won two qualifying matches and then saved a match point en route to defeating fellow former World No. 3 Stan Wawrinka in the first round of the main draw. That late-evening encounter ended at 2:22 a.m. Tuesday morning.

The hours on court showed in the game of Thiem, who hit an uncharacteristic number of errors, allowing Rune to escape tight moments in the match. The Austrian battled throughout at Accor Arena, but was unable to overcome letting slip all five break points he earned.

Rune will next play German Daniel Altmaier, who advanced to the third round via walkover when Taylor Fritz withdrew due to injury. It will be the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting, but Rune defeated Altmaier in a final-set tie-break two years ago at an ATP Challenger Tour event played on clay in Italy.