Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka will renew their rivalry on Saturday in Paris. Andy Murray and David Ferrer are also aiming for a place in the title match.
(1) Novak Djokovic vs. (4) Stan Wawrinka
Djokovic and Wawrinka will be facing each other for the 23rd time in their careers and for the fourth time this season when they clash in the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Masters on Saturday. The head-to-head series stands at 18-4 in favor of Djokovic, but the rivalry has heated up nicely dating back to a 2013 Australian Open epic won by the Serb 12-10 in the fifth. Wawrinka upset Djokovic the next year Down Under and again in the French Open final this spring. They most recently squared off a few months ago at the Cincinnati Masters, where Djokovic coasted 6-4, 6-1.
Aiming for his third consecutive Paris title, the world No. 1 has defeated Thomaz Bellucci, Gilles Simon, and Tomas Berdych in straight sets. He did not break Berdych a single time but got the job done in two tiebreakers. Wawrinka beat Bernard Tomic and Viktor Troicki before also advancing in a pair of ‘breakers when he outlasted Rafael Nadal 7-6(8), 7-6(7) on Friday night. A quick turnaround following an extended struggle will not help the Swiss in advance of a showdown with by far the world’s best player right now.
Pick: Djokovic in 2 with no tiebreakers
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(8) David Ferrer vs. (2) Andy Murray
The other semifinal also features two players who are heading to the World Tour Finals later this month. Murray secured the No. 2 seed in London when Roger Federer lost to John Isner during third-round action in Paris. As for Murray’s own exploits this week, he is showing impressive determination despite likely having his focus deterred by both the year-end championship and the upcoming Davis Cup final between Great Britain and Belgium. The third-ranked Scot has improved to 67-11 for the season following victories this week over Borna Coric, David Goffin, and Richard Gasquet.
Although he missed several months of action this summer due to an elbow injury, Ferrer will be no worse than the seventh seed in London and could climb as high as No. 5. The eighth-ranked Spaniard’s fall swing includes titles in Kuala Lumpur and Vienna and so far in Paris he has taken out Alexandr Dolgopolov, Grigor Dimitrov, and John Isner. Ferrer survived tough three-setters against both Dimitrov and Isner, whereas Murray clobbered Coric and Goffin before going three with Gasquet. This is not a great matchup for the 33-year-old, who is a decent 6-10 in the head-to-head series but a mere 2-8 on hard courts. Murray can retrieve just as well as his opponent while also showcasing far superior firepower. He can hit through this particular court; Ferrer cannot.
Pick: Murray in 2
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