Paris Masters 2018 Semifinals: Schedule for November 3, where to watch and more
The week in the Paris Masters has turned out to be very eventful. Injury withdrawals, sensational upsets and thrilling encounters have given fans and experts much to talk about. Yesterday's quarter-final matches churned out a similar story as well.
Karen Khachanov faced an Alexander Zverev who was struggling with his serves and overheads owing to a shoulder issue. The Russian made full use of it to decimate his opponent. But that shouldn't take credit away from him as his game was at an elite level. So much so that Zverev managed to win only three games in the match. Remember, Karen had outserved John Isner in 3 sets just a day before this clash.
Dominic Thiem was surprised by a brutal assault from the powerful Jack Sock in his match. The American, who could've slipped outside the top 100 with a failure in the event, decided he wanted to make full use of his quarter-final appearance. But the Austrian retaliated, utilizing his strong backhands to break down his opponent's game. The incredible angles of his shots helped him break serve thrice in the next 2 sets to complete an admirable victory. But that wasn't the only comeback of the day.
Novak Djokovic too was under pressure against Marin Cilic as the latter brought his power game to the fore, taking the first set by a break. The Serb then clicked into gear and the Croatian could do nothing from there on. Djokovic took the second set, breaking serve twice and breezed through to the semi-finals, taking the decider 6-3. Although he made 5 double faults on his service, Novak fully pounced on Cilic's second serves, winning 71% of the points.
Roger Federer had the most straightforward road to the semi-finals among the seeds. He didn't have to play the Round of 32 as Raonic pulled out and then had an easy victory coming into the quarters. Yesterday, he got another routine win, this time against Kei Nishikori. The Swiss Maestro looked the most comfortable on court in a long during the encounter. His 1st serve win% stood at 97 in the end, a number he'll be heartened with.
The main match today, on Day 6 is the decade old rivalry, a lipsmacking prospect for tennis fans from around the globe. Roger Federer will take on Novak Djokovic for a chance to play for his 100th title. A victory here means that he'll face a comparatively weaker opponent in the final. For the Serb, it's about stamping his authority once again. He'll look to extend his title winning streak to 4 tournaments in a row.
The first match today will be a good watch as well. Karen Khachanov and Dominic Thiem got through to the semis with highly contrasting victories. Thiem, having played two 3-setters in a row, might be a tired player. Khachanov did have an exhausting Round of 16 but the effortlessness of his quarter-final win might have a role to play in this match.
List of the semi-final matches of the day:
Court Central
Starte at 2:00pm local time / 6:30pm IST
(6) Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov
Followed by
(3) Roger Federer v (2) Novak Djokovic
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: Saturday, November 3, 2018
Round: Semi-finals
Broadcast: Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD
Live stream: Sony Liv