Impressive Djokovic into last eight in Paris, plays Italian Musetti next

Six-time champion Novak Djokovic, the No 6 seed, defeated Russian Karen Khachanov 6-4, 6-1 to move into the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters at the Accor Arena on Thursday evening.

Djokovic, ranked No 7, took revenge for his loss to Khachanov in the 2018 final and will face Italian Lorenzo Musetti next.

“Khachanov is someone I know really well,” Djokovic said. “We train a lot and we played almost 10 times against each other on different surfaces. He beat me four years ago in the final, so I know he likes this surface, he likes these conditions.

“The first (set) was quite even, I had my chances, he had a break, and he was hanging on and I broke his serve in the 10th game of the first set and I think after that the momentum shifted. In the second set I was a different player. I think I stepped it up even more, served better, and I’m just really pleased with the way I finished.”

In the previous round, the 35-year-old Serb won against American Maxime Cressy (7-6 (1), 6-4).

Khachanov, ranked No 19, beat Argentinian Sebastian Baez (6-1, 6-1) and edged out Swiss qualifier Marc-Andrea Huesler (6-3, 4-6, 6-4) in the previous rounds of the Paris Bercy.

Paris Masters 1000, other last 16 results (Accor Arena, EUR 5.415.410, most recent results first):

• Pablo Carreno Busta vs. Tommy Paul
• Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Corentin Moutet
• Felix Auger-Aliassime (8) beat Gilles Simon (WC): 6-1, 6-3
• Holger Rune beat Andrey Rublev (7): 6-4, 7-5
• Carlos Alcaraz (1) beat Grigor Dimitrov: 6-1, 6-3
• Frances Tiafoe (16) beat Alex De Minaur: 6-3, 7-6 (5)
• Lorenzo Musetti beat Casper Ruud (3): 4-6, 6-4, 6-4