Novak Djokovic will try to take another step toward defending his Paris title when he goes up against Grigor Dimitrov on Thursday. Third-round action is also continuing with a showdown between Kei Nishikori and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
(1) Novak Djokovic vs. (14) Grigor Dimitrov
The No. 1 ranking is on the line at this week’s BNP Paribas Masters and Djokovic needs three more victories to deny Andy Murray any chance of overtaking him at the top spot. If Djokovic reaches the final, Murray cannot become No. 1–at least not until after the World Tour Finals–even if the second-ranked Scot captures the Paris title. Djokovic’s post-French Open slump has left the door open for Murray, but the Serb at least managed to pick up a 6-3, 6-4 win over Gilles Muller on Wednesday.
Up next for the defending champion three-time defending champion during third-round competition on Thursday is a seventh career meeting with Dimitrov, who is trailing the head-to-head series 6-1. They have not faced each other since 2014, when Djokovic won a four-setter in the Wimbledon semifinals and scored a 6-2, 6-4 win in the Beijing quarters. Whereas Djokovic’s cold streak seems to be in progress, Dimitrov’s came this spring. The 18th-ranked Bulgarian has dug out of it in impressive fashion, with a runner-up performance in Beijing and three semifinal showings (including in Cincinnati) among his second-half results. Unless the battle for the No. 1 ranking inspires Djokovic to get his game back in shape, Dimitrov looks poised for an upset.
Pick: Dimitrov in 3
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(5) Kei Nishikori vs. (11) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Nishikori and Tsonga will be squaring off for the eighth time in their careers on Thursday. The head-to-head series stands at 5-2 in favor of Nishikori, who most recently destroyed the Frenchman 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 at this year’s Australian Open. They faced each other at this same Paris event in both 2013 and 2014, with Nishikori surviving three-setters on both occasions; 9-7 in a decisive tiebreaker and then via a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 decision.
Tsonga must win the title this week if he wants to qualify for the World Tour Finals. The world No. 13 knows it can be done, because he accomplished the feat in front of the home crowd back in 2008. His quest for another title got off to a strong start in the form of a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Albert Ramos-Vinolas. Nishikori, as usual, has not been 100 percent physically during the second half of this season. Still, he is coming off a runner-up finish in Basel and he took care of Viktor Troicki 6-2, 7-5 on Wednesday. This should be a good one, in which Tsonga has a very real chance of avenging his two previous Paris defeats at the hands of the current world No. 4.
Pick: Tsonga in 3
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