Paris Masters 2018: Schedule for November 2, Top matches, Where to watch and more
Day 5 of the Paris Masters 2018 promises to be an action-packed day as it has all the four quarter-finals in the schedule with three former champions in the fray. But none more than Novak Djokovic commands attention.
The Serbian, who made a stunning return from injury to capture titles at Wimbledon and the US Open, is now gearing up for his fourth stint at the pinnacle of the world rankings following Rafael Nadal's late withdrawal from this tournament. And the 14-time Major winner is also playing like the planet's best shuttler at the moment, having set a personal record of winning 30 consecutive sets.
It goes without saying that 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic will have his hands full against this nearly invincible version of Djokovic when they clash in the quarter-finals at the French capital on Friday.
Roger Federer too is on a run of his own. He is seeking his 100th career title this week but Kei Nishikori could have a say there. The Swiss maestro hasn't managed to keep his errors at bay and it would need quite an effort from him against an inspired Nishikori, who is hungry to claim one of the few remaining berths at the year-ending ATP Finals.
Fourth seed Alexander Zverev has a winning head-to-head record over his quarter-final opponent, Karen Khachanov. The Russian, however, got a huge boost of confidence after coming back from the brink against John Isner. Khachanov will try his best to ride on it to get his first win over the German.
Defending champion Jack Sock, who has had a shabby season so far, goes into his match against the French Open 2018 runner-up Dominic Thiem as the underdog. But the Austrian had to battle for 2.5 hours to subdue the challenge of Halle champion Borna Coric. It remains to be seen if that marathon has any effect on his stamina and fitness today.
List of top matches of the day:
Court Central
Play starts at 2pm local time/6.30pm IST
(4) Alexander Zverev vs Karen Khachanov
Followed by
(16) Jack Sock vs (6) Dominic Thiem
Not before 7.30pm local time/00:00 hours IST on November 3
(5) Marin Cilic vs (2) Novak Djokovic
Not before 8.30pm local time/1 am IST on November 3
(10) Kei Nishikori vs (3) Roger Federer
Here is all you need to know about how to follow the Paris Masters:
Tournament name: Rolex Paris Masters
Location: Paris, France
Category: Masters 1000
Date: Friday, November 2, 2018
Round: Quarter-finals
Broadcast: Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD
Livestream: Sony Liv