London Hopefuls Sock & Isner Look To Reach Paris Final

The Rolex Paris Masters semi-finals on Saturday feature four players attempting to capture their first career ATP Masters 1000 title. The last ATP Masters 1000 semi-final with four players looking for their first ATP Masters 1000 title was here in 2012 when David Ferrer, qualifier Jerzy Janowicz and Frenchmen Michael Llodra and Gilles Simon were remaining. Ferrer beat Janowicz in the final for the biggest title of his career.

There is a lot at stake with local wild card Julien Benneteau and Serbian qualifier Filip Krajinovic attempting to capture their first singles title on the ATP World Tour. Americans John Isner and Jack Sock are two wins away from qualifying for the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals in London. This is the first time two Americans are in the semi-finals of an ATP Masters 1000 tournament since 2010 Cincinnati, where Mardy Fish beat Andy Roddick. The last American to win an ATP Masters 1000 title was Roddick in 2010 Miami (d. Berdych). The last American to reach the Paris final/win the title was Andre Agassi in 1999 (d. Safin).

In the first singles match, Krajinovic and No. 9 seed Isner square off for the first time on the ATP World Tour. They previously met at the 2008 Lubbock, Texas Challenger with the American winning 6-2, 6-4 in the second round. Isner began the week at No. 20 in the Emirates ATP Race to London. He only has been broken twice in 51 service games this week, saving a tournament-best 14 of 16 break points. (88%). The 32-year-old American is appearing in his 10th ATP Masters 1000 semi-final (3-6), the third this season (Rome, Cincinnati) and the third in Paris (2011, 2016). Last year he reached his third Masters 1000 final in Paris (l. to Murray). 

Isner is trying to reach his 25h career ATP final (12-12), the third this year (2-0). He has never won an indoor title (0-2). 

Krajinovic is appearing in his second career ATP World Tour semi-final, the first since 2010 when he reached the semi-finals on home soil in Belgrade. The 25-year-old Serb has compiled his best results this season on the ATP Challenger Tour with a 47-15 record (40-10 on clay) and 5-0 in finals. He received a walkover on Friday against World No. 1 Rafael Nadal and he is projected to break the Top 50 in the Emirates ATP Rankings at No. 43 (from No. 77). Krajinovic is the first qualifier to reach the semi-finals in Paris since Jerzy Janowicz advanced to the final in 2012 (l. to Ferrer).

In the second semi-final, Benneteau looks for his second win against Sock, who lost the only previous meeting 6-, 6-4 in the third round at the 2014 Shanghai Rolex Masters. The 35-year-old Frenchman has posted back-to-back Top 10 wins in the same tournament for the first time over No. 10 David Goffin and No. 5 Marin Cilic to become the first wild card in the Paris semi-finals since Michael Llodra in 2012 (l. to Ferrer). The last Frenchman to reach the Paris final was Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 2011 (l. to Federer). Tsonga was the last French champion here in 2008 (d. Nalbandian). 

Benneteau is making his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final showing since 2014 Cincinnati (l. to Ferrer) and he’s trying to advance to his 11th career ATP singles final (0-10), the first since 2014 Kuala Lumpur (l. to Nishikori). Benneteau is projected to improve his ranking from No. 83 to around No. 52. 

Sock is making his second ATP Masters 1000 semi-final after reaching this round in Indian Wells in March (l. to Federer). The 25-year-old American came in this week No. 24 in the Emirates ATP Race to London and he will move past Pablo Carreno Busta for the final spot if he wins the title. He is 2-0 in ATP singles finals this season (3-4 in his career).