Novak Djokovic will aim for a quarterfinal berth at the Paris Masters on Thursday, with Karen Khachanov looking to pull off the upset. Third-round action also includes a showdown between Frances Tiafoe and Alex de Minaur.
(6) Novak Djokovic vs. Karen Khachanov
It will be a rematch of the 2018 Rolex Paris Masters final when Djokovic and Khachanov meet again at the last Masters 1000 tournament of the year, this time during third-round action on Wednesday. Khachanov triumphed 7-5, 6-4 four years ago, but he has lost all seven of his other encounters with Djokovic. They have faced each other three times in 2022, with the Serb prevailing in Dubai (6-3, 7-6(2)), Belgrade (4-6, 6-1, 6-2), and last month in Astana (6-4, 6-3).
Khachanov obviously enjoys this event, but there is no reason to think he can turn the tide back in his favor at this point. The world No. 19, who battled past Marc-Andrea Huesler in three sets on Tuesday, is just 4-3 since the U.S. Open and is coming off consecutive second-round losses in Antwerp (Sebastian Korda) and Basel (Dan Evans). Djokovic is 42-8 lifetime at the Paris Masters and extended his winning streak to 10 matches (including titles in 2019 and 2021) with a 7-6(1), 6-4 defeat of Maxime Cressy in his opener. Count on the six-time champion rolling into the quarterfinals with ease.
Pick: Djokovic in 2 losing 7 games or fewer
Alex de Minaur vs. (16) Frances Tiafoe
Tiafoe may have expected to see Daniil Medvedev on the other side of the net in round three, but De Minaur had other ideas. The 25th-ranked Australian took down Medvedev 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 on Wednesday afternoon, which was preceded by a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory over Korda.
De Minaur’s reward is a matchup that has been favorable for him in the past. He is 3-0 lifetime against Tiafoe, with wins in 2017 Brisbane qualifying, at the 2018 U.S. Open, and at the 2019 NextGen ATP Finals. Those results don’t mean a whole lot now that both players are in the primes of their careers, but De Minaur is clearly comfortable facing Tiafoe. Even though the 21st-ranked American is playing the best tennis of his life at the moment, De Minaur is also on a roll and has momentum firmly on his side after upsetting Medvedev.
Pick: De Minaur in 3
nice one, Foe