Hijikata beats Djokovic in Paris as de Minaur's Finals hopes fade
Rinky Hijikata's comeback ended Novak Djokovic's ATP Finals bid, while Alex de Minaur now needs a withdrawal to have a chance of reaching Turin.
Australia's Rinky Hijikata has defeated Novak Djokovic 2-6 6-3 6-3 in the Paris Masters second round, ending the Serbian's chance of qualifying for the ATP Finals. Fellow Australian Alex de Minaur also lost, leaving his prospects of a third consecutive appearance in Turin dependent on a withdrawal.
Hijikata, 25, ranked world No.83, recovered from losing the opening set to beat the 24-time grand slam champion. He struck 37 winners, 29 of them forehands, during the two-and-a-quarter-hour match. Djokovic had needed to reach the semi-finals in Paris to have a chance of making the season-ending field.
De Minaur fell 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 to world No.31 Tomas Martin Etcheverry, who recorded his first win against a top-10 opponent. The Australian had two set points on Etcheverry's serve in the opener but could not convert. A double fault when trailing 2-3 in the second set gave the Argentine the decisive break.
The defeat left de Minaur ninth in the live Race to Turin, behind Rafael Jodar, with Paris the final qualifying tournament. He could still slip further down the standings. His remaining route into the field requires a top-eight player to withdraw; already-qualified Flavio Cobolli has missed Paris with a leg injury but is expected to be fit for Turin.
