Van Assche Beats Hijikata to Reach Paris Semis

Luca Van Assche dug out of a 2-0 hole in the third set and beat qualifier Rinky Hijikata 6-4, 6-7(4), 7-5 on Friday at the Rolex Paris Masters to reach his first Masters 1000 semi-final. The Frenchman closed it in 2 hours and 44 minutes on Court Central at Paris La Defense Arena, breaking Hijikata to love at 6-5 before sealing the win on his first match point when the Australian dumped a backhand volley into the net.

Van Assche, the last Frenchman left in the singles draw, moves into the top 35 and faces third seed Ben Shelton in Saturday's semi-final after Shelton beat Tommy Paul 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 earlier Friday.

Break at 4-4, Then the Tie-Break Fight

Van Assche took the only break of the first set at 4-4 and served it out. Hijikata, who knocked out Novak Djokovic earlier in the week, led 3-0 in the second before Van Assche broke back. Long holds at 3-3 and 4-4 kept the Frenchman alive, but Hijikata ran away with the tie-break after leading 6-2 and took it 7-4.

The Australian carried that momentum into the decider and jumped out 2-0. New balls and a better serve flipped the script. Van Assche started leaning on the crowd, stepping into returns, and making Hijikata pay for rushing the net.

Decider Flip, Match Point at the Net

From 2-0 down in the third, neither player held back. At 6-5 with Hijikata serving to stay in it, Van Assche ripped a forehand pass and Hijikata double-faulted into three match points. One was enough. Hijikata finished with more winners (47 to 39) but 41 unforced errors to Van Assche's 20, and he won only 25 of 43 net approaches while the Frenchman took 11 of 13.

Van Assche hit 13 aces to Hijikata's seven, saved five of seven break points, and won eight of the last ten points. Hijikata leaves Paris with a career-best ranking push inside the top 60 after a week that included Djokovic and Tomas Martin Etcheverry.

Shelton Next on Home Dirt

Saturday brings Shelton, already into his first Paris semi-final. Van Assche beat Mariano Navone, Learner Tien, and Lorenzo Musetti to get here, then Hijikata. Home support is the edge. Recovery is the other half of the job after another three-setter a day after Musetti.

Smacktok pick lean: Lean higher on Van Assche's first-serve points won against Shelton. Thirteen aces and clean serving under scoreboard pressure are what got him through Hijikata, and that weapon travels into a Paris semi indoors.

First Masters 1000 semi-final, last Frenchman standing, Shelton waiting. Paris just got louder for Saturday.