Djokovic, Medvedev and Zverev reach Paris semis

Paris, November 6 (BNA): Novak Djokovic remained on course to win his sixth Paris Masters title with a 6-4 6-3 victory over American Taylor Fritz, while world number two Daniil Medvedev tamed crowd-favorite Hugo Gaston 7-6 (7). 6-4 to reach the semi-finals on Friday.

Alexander Zverev made sure three of the world’s top four players compete in the last four after he knocked out Kasper Ruud 7-5 6-4 while Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz deepened to beat Australian James Duckworth 6-2, 6-7 (4), 7-5. , Reuters reported.

On Saturday, Djokovic will meet Hurkac, while Medvedev will meet Zverev in a superb match on the sidewalks in Sunday’s final.

Djokovic and Fritz exchanged heavy ground strikes in the first set before the 20-time winner broke serve at 3-4. Fritz broke on the spot but Djokovic’s supremacy from the back of the field finally came when he grabbed the opener at 38 minutes.

“I was absent from the tour for two months, before I came to this tournament, and the last competitive match I played was in the US Open final, compared to the other players who played one or two events before Paris,” said Djokovic, who lost. To Medvedev in the final at Flushing Meadows.

“I knew I needed to start well, with good intensity and spend many hours on the training field. But it’s different when you play points in a competitive match.”

The duo once again traded service interruptions at the start of the second before Fritz blasted a 1-1 draw opportunity with Djokovic relegating 15-40. And the Serb took control after beating that little point, winning 12 of 14 points from 2-2 to score his fifth straight win over the 24-year-old American.

“I’ve had ups and downs. I’m not really happy with the way I closed in on the sets. I lost my serve for love (1-1), then (at) 5-3, again,” Djokovic added, “and lost in love again. These things shouldn’t happen.”

Medvedev double-faulted to give Gaston a 5-4 lead in the opening set with a knife and then saved three consecutive points from the Frenchman’s serve to force a tiebreak as the next two games went on serve.

More stunning shots and nerve-racking action followed as Gaston saved a set point with a delicious backhand winner before Medvedev finally clinched the hour-long set with a serving winner that silenced the acoustic house crowd in Paris.

The Russian led 4-0 in the second set, but the 21-year-old Gaston, who recovered from a 5-0 downturn in the second set to defeat Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz in the previous round, won the next three games and got the crowd going. back on their feet.

Medvedev kept his cool and shut out the pulsating competition with a winning forehand on the occasional court in a tense final in which he double-faulted on his first match point.

Zverev was in control of the pace against Ruud after breaking the Norwegian in the eleventh game of the opening set, holding himself the entire time to book his place in the last four.

NS