World number 7 Novak Djokovic remained on track for a seventh Paris Masters title with a straightforward win over Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti while world no 1 Carlos Alcaraz retired from his match against Holger Rune.
Chasing a record-extending 39th Masters title, Djokovic needed just 24 minutes to seal the first set against the unseeded Italian before the pair swapped breaks early in the second set for 2-2.
His resistance was brief as Djokovic soon found his range again to seal the win with a hold at love. The win over Musetti means Djokovic will meet Stefanos Tsitipas in the Paris Masters semifinals.
The Greek earned a 6-2, 6-4 against the unseeded American Tommy Paul, who earlier shocked the world by knocking out Rafael Nadal in the second round.
Djokovic, who leads the pair’s head-to-head 8-2, has looked imperious in Paris after titles in Israel and Kazakhstan.
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz was beaten by unseeded Holger Rune of Denmark after the Spaniard retired taking the Dane to his first semifinals at the Masters level.
In a match between 19-year-old former junior doubles partners, Rune was up 6-3, 6-6 and 3-1 in the tiebreaker when the US Open champion threw in the towel, a few minutes after receiving treatment on an abdominal muscle at the changeover.
Rune, who has won two career titles this year, will take on eighth-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime next.
Auger-Aliassime, who is on a hot streak himself, beat No. 16 Frances Tiafoe 6-1, 6-4 to stay on track for a fourth straight title.
