Luca Van Assche beat Lorenzo Musetti 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 to reach a first Masters 1000 quarter-final, while qualifier Rinky Hijikata backed up his Djokovic win by edging Etcheverry. Alcaraz advanced by walkover after Berrettini withdrew, and Shelton, Paul, Ruud, Borges and Fritz also won.
Paris, France: The Paris Masters draw cracked open again on Thursday. France’s Luca Van Assche beat the man who had knocked out the new world No. 1, a qualifier outside the top 80 stayed alive, and the quarter-finals took shape with a lucky loser in the last eight.
Van Assche avenges Lyon
Van Assche, ranked No. 47, beat Lorenzo Musetti 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 on Court Central in about two and a half hours. It was his first Masters 1000 quarter-final, and it came two weeks after Musetti had beaten him in the Lyon quarter-finals in a match that finished at 1.17 am.
The decider turned at 4-4, when Musetti was at 15-40 on his own serve and sent a forehand into the net. Van Assche served for the match, led 40-0 and converted his first match point with a drop volley. He now plays Rinky Hijikata, whom he has never met. Musetti had beaten Alexander Zverev in the previous round, in Zverev’s first match as world No. 1.
Hijikata rallies again
Hijikata, a qualifier ranked No. 83, beat Etcheverry 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 in 2 hours 9 minutes, a day after his win over Novak Djokovic. Etcheverry controlled the first set, but Hijikata took the second, saved three break points at 1-2 in the decider and then held to love three times in a row. At 5-5 he broke and served out the match on his first match point.
He is the first qualifier into the Paris quarter-finals since Hugo Gaston in 2021, and the run lifts him to a career-high live ranking. Etcheverry had beaten Andrey Rublev and Alex de Minaur to get this far.
Shelton and Paul set up an all-American quarter-final
Ben Shelton, the third seed, beat Arthur Rinderknech 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5). The decider went to a tie-break in which he won five of the last six points from 2/4. It was his 43rd tour-level win of the season, a personal best, and he has already qualified for the ATP Finals in Turin.
Tommy Paul had more at stake. He beat Quentin Halys 7-6(3), 6-4 to keep his own Turin hopes alive; he is 13th in the live race, four places outside the cut. He and Shelton meet on Friday, with both chasing a first Paris semi-final.
Ruud and Borges set up a rematch
Casper Ruud beat Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-3 in 64 minutes, holding all nine of his service games and never facing a break point. He meets Nuno Borges, who beat Ignacio Buse 6-0, 6-2 and became the first lucky loser to reach a Paris Masters quarter-final.
Borges won the pair’s most recent meeting in the Basel last 16 in October. His earlier win over wildcard Kouamé is covered in our earlier round-up.
Fritz stays alive, Alcaraz waits
Taylor Fritz beat sixth seed Arthur Fils 6-3, 6-4, keeping his own Turin hopes alive; Fils had already qualified. Fritz’s match was moved to 7 pm after Berrettini’s withdrawal gave Carlos Alcaraz a walkover, and the two now meet in the quarter-finals. For the day before, see our report on Musetti’s win over Zverev and Hijikata’s upset of Djokovic.
Results (Rolex Paris Masters, round of 16, 5 November 2026): Luca Van Assche beat Lorenzo Musetti 7-5, 3-6, 6-4; Rinky Hijikata (Q) beat Tomás Martín Etcheverry 2-6, 6-3, 7-5; Ben Shelton (3) beat Arthur Rinderknech 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5); Tommy Paul (12) beat Quentin Halys 7-6(3), 6-4; Casper Ruud beat Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-3; Nuno Borges (LL) beat Ignacio Buse 6-0, 6-2; Taylor Fritz (11) beat Arthur Fils (6) 6-3, 6-4; Carlos Alcaraz (2) walkover (Berrettini withdrew).
Friday quarter-finals: Van Assche v Hijikata; Shelton v Paul; Ruud v Borges; Fritz v Alcaraz.
