Dream runs collide as Luca Van Assche meets Djokovic conqueror Rinky Hijikata
Match News & Form
Luca Van Assche has already enjoyed a very productive second half of the year, highlighted by his maiden ATP title in Estoril and his top-50 debut, and he is now using a couple of home tournaments during this indoor swing to give a memorable season a grand finish. He reached the quarterfinals in Lyon two weeks ago, losing only to eventual champion Lorenzo Musetti in three sets. In Paris, he avenged that defeat with a three-set win over Musetti in the last 16 to reach another home quarterfinal, a result that is set to earn him a new career-high ranking inside the top 40 next week.
Rinky Hijikata arrived at the Paris Masters on a run of four tournaments without a main-draw win, including back-to-back losses as a lucky loser in Basel last week. He has completely turned things on their head on his tournament debut, winning five matches in a row after entering as a qualifier. That run includes a memorable comeback win over Novak Djokovic in the second round, and he has made sure to reap the rewards, following it with another three-set comeback against Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the last 16. He is now the first qualifier to reach the quarterfinals at the Paris Masters since 2021.
Head-to-Head: 0-0
The pair have never met before.
Stats & Facts
Luca Van Assche has won 17 of his 20 matches on indoor hard courts this year.
This is Van Assche’s first Masters quarterfinal, and he holds a 1-4 record in tour-level quarterfinals.
Rinky Hijikata is also playing his first Masters quarterfinal, and he holds a 1-7 record in tour-level quarterfinals.
Hijikata holds a 9-15 record against top-50 opponents this year, with three of those wins coming in the Paris main draw.
Betting Analysis
Both players are enjoying an extraordinary run in Paris this week, which will reward them with new career-high rankings next Monday, and both will be confident of extending it further. However, Luca Van Assche appears to have the stronger chance of coming out on top. His overall level throughout the second half of the year has been of real quality, he has home advantage and extreme comfort in French indoor conditions, and his 85-59 career record indoors speaks for itself.
