Novak Djokovic Upset by Qualifier Hijikata in Paris

Novak Djokovic cruised through the first set and then watched it slip away, losing 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 to qualifier Rinky Hijikata on Wednesday in the second round of the Paris Masters. The match took two hours, 14 minutes on Court Central, per the tournament's official results.

The loss hurts more than one week in Paris. Djokovic came in 11th in the live race to Turin, and the Associated Press reported before the match that he needed at least the semifinals here to stand a chance at the ATP Finals. Only Stockholm, an ATP 250 event, is left on the calendar after Paris.

Hijikata Flipped the Match

Djokovic looked like himself early. He took the opening set 6-2 and seemed headed for a quick night. Then Hijikata got a break late in the second set, served it out, and carried that momentum into the third.

This wasn't a total fluke, either. The 25-year-old Australian came through qualifying and swept past world No. 21 Luciano Darderi in the first round. He told ATPTour.com this week that this is "probably the best season I've had in my career," and he's reached the fourth round at Indian Wells and the quarterfinals at Queen's Club as a qualifier this year. He also won the 2023 Australian Open doubles title with Jason Kubler, and that net game showed up in Paris.

Djokovic had won both of their previous meetings, in Brisbane and Miami last year, in straight sets. Not this time.

A Rough Week for the Seeds

Djokovic, a record seven-time Paris champion, wasn't the only big name to go out Wednesday. World No. 1 Alexander Zverev lost to Lorenzo Musetti, No. 4 Daniil Medvedev fell to Ignacio Buse, and No. 8 Alex de Minaur lost to Tomas Martin Etcheverry.

Frances Tiafoe's loss to Quentin Halys also clinched an ATP Finals spot for Arthur Fils, the first Frenchman to qualify since Gael Monfils in 2016. Djokovic, meanwhile, can't add anything more in Paris.

What's Next

Hijikata gets Etcheverry in the round of 16, and that's a winnable match for a guy playing with this kind of confidence. Etcheverry's coming off a straight-sets win over De Minaur, so neither of them will be short on belief.

For Djokovic, it's an early exit at a place he's owned. For Hijikata, it's the biggest win of his career, and he's not done yet.

Smacktok pick lean: Lean Hijikata to take at least a set off Etcheverry. He just beat a seven-time Paris champion over three sets with his serve and net game.