The surprises continued at the 2026 Rolex Paris Masters on Thursday, with Luca Van Assche, Rinky Hijikata and Nuno Borges all booking unlikely quarter-final places as the tournament’s depleted draw opened up even further.
Van Assche delighted home fans by knocking out Lorenzo Musetti, who had beaten world No. 1 Alexander Zverev just 24 hours earlier, while Hijikata backed up his big win over Novak Djokovic with another three-set comeback against Tomás Martín Etcheverry. Lucky loser Borges also continued his unexpected run, dropping just two games against Ignacio Buse.
Elsewhere, Ben Shelton survived a final-set tie-break against Arthur Rinderknech, Tommy Paul kept his ATP Finals hopes alive, and Taylor Fritz produced one of his best performances of the week to defeat Arthur Fils.
Carlos Alcaraz, meanwhile, enjoyed a day off following the injury-prone Matteo Berrettini’s withdrawal, leaving the Spaniard well-positioned to take down a title that’s missing from his trophy cabinet.
Below is a look at Thursday’s results, the key matches and Friday’s quarter-final lineup, including Shelton against Paul and Fritz’s clash with Alcaraz.
Day Four Paris Masters Round of 16 Results
Key Match Recap
Luca Van Assche def. Lorenzo Musetti 7-5, 3-6, 6-4
Luca Van Assche finds himself in the quarters after a three-set victory over Lorenzo Musetti, who couldn’t back up his impressive win against Zverev on Wednesday.
The Frenchman was playing in his first Masters 1000 last 16, but showed little sign of nerves against an opponent who had beaten him in Lyon just ten days earlier.
Van Assche was solid in the opening set, matching Musetti from the baseline and securing the decisive break at 6-5 to take it 7-5.
Musetti has the much stronger resume and responded as you’d expect, raising his level in the second set and beginning to dictate more of the longer exchanges.
However, the Italian couldn’t maintain that momentum in the decider, and with the typically loud French crowd getting increasingly involved, Van Assche found a second wind.
He was under pressure in several service games but held firm, then secured the crucial break and served out the match to love.
It was an impressive performance from LVA, and I thought Musetti might make the final after beating Zverev, so it’s a disappointing result for him.
Van Assche, meanwhile, was ranked around 200 a year ago but is now inside the top 50, won his first ATP title in Estoril, and is another Frenchman near the top of the rankings.
Rinky Hijikata def. Tomás Martín Etcheverry 2-6, 6-3, 7-5
Hijikata’s run continued with another comeback victory, this time against Tomás Martín Etcheverry.
After beating Novak Djokovic on Wednesday from a set down, the Australian could easily have suffered a letdown against an opponent who had knocked out Andrey Rublev and Alex de Minaur.
In the opening set, Etcheverry was the stronger player from the baseline, hitting through the court and giving Hijikata little opportunity to impose himself.
The Argentine took the opener 6-2, but as he did against Djokovic, Hijikata stuck around and started to hit the ball better as the match wore on.
The Australian took the second set 6-3 before staying with Etcheverry throughout a tight decider, eventually finding the decisive break late on to close it out 7-5.
Rinky starts slowly, looks in trouble, then somehow raises his level as the match slips away. He’s played five matches since Saturday, including back-to-back three-setters against Djokovic and Etcheverry. Van Assche is in the quarter-finals, so it’s a big opportunity for both players.
Ben Shelton def. Arthur Rinderknech 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5)
Ben Shelton had to work hard too, recovering from a set down to defeat Arthur Rinderknech in just over two hours.
The Frenchman started solidly; his serve can be deadly, and he basically served perfectly in the opening set, winning all eight of his approaches to the net.
Shelton couldn’t make much of an impression on return, and Rinderknech took advantage to grab the opener 6-3.
However, the American gradually improved, cut out the errors, made just one unforced error in the second set, and converted his first break point to level the contest.
The decider was much tighter, with neither player making the decisive breakthrough. Rinderknech continued serving well and had the crowd firmly behind him, but Shelton eventually found his best tennis in the tie-break.
Trailing 4-2, the American won five of the next six points to take it 7-5 and secure his place in the quarter-finals. Probably his best win since his US Open run.
Shelton now faces Tommy Paul in an all-American quarter-final, which should be interesting given their contrasting styles.
Tommy Paul def. Quentin Halys 7-6(3), 6-4
Tommy Paul kept his ATP Finals hopes alive with another solid performance, ending Quentin Halys’ run in straight sets.
The American was virtually untouchable behind his first serve, winning an incredible 43 of 45 points throughout. You’d think, given Halys’ strong serve, Paul would feel more pressure to hold, but those numbers are top-notch.
Paul created plenty of early return opportunities but didn’t convert many, and the first set eventually went to a tie-break.
He took that 7-3 before continuing to apply pressure in the second, eventually finding the break he needed to finish the match 6-4.
Paul is still chasing a place in Turin, and while he remains outside the qualification positions, several rivals’ early exits have given him a genuine opportunity.
He’ll need to beat Shelton in the quarter-finals to keep that push going, and I think he can do it.
Nuno Borges def. Ignacio Buse 6-0, 6-2
Nuno Borges wasn’t someone you’d have predicted to be in the last eight, since he lost in the final round of qualifying to Alex Molčan on Sunday, but he got a lucky-loser spot in the main draw and has now reached the quarter-finals without dropping a set.
His latest victory was an absolute demolition of Ignacio Buse. Borges raced through the opening set 6-0, barely giving the Peruvian a chance to settle.
Buse eventually got on the board in the second, but he struggled physically and needed treatment for a left knee problem. That didn’t help his cause, and Borges continued to dominate, eventually winning 6-0, 6-2 in just 71 minutes.
Taylor Fritz def. Arthur Fils 6-3, 6-4
Taylor Fritz finally produced one of his best performances on an indoor hard court, defeating Arthur Fils 6-3, 6-4 in just 71 minutes.
The American had needed three sets to get through his opening two matches against Benjamin Bonzi and Alex Molčan, and he didn’t look that convincing.
However, against the home favourite, he looked far more assured, firing 14 aces and finishing with 29 winners against just 15 from Fils.
More importantly, he didn’t face a single break point throughout the match, securing an early break in the opening set and repeating the trick at 1-1 in the second, leaving Fils with no opportunity to find a way back.
For Fritz, it’s his 100th victory at the Masters 1000 level and his second quarter-final at this level in 2026, which is a disappointing season given some of the draws he’s had.
However, he’s just 184 points behind Rafael Jódar in the Live Race to Turin, so his chances of qualifying remain very much alive.
Carlos Alcaraz awaits in the quarter-finals, and the Spaniard has won six of their seven previous meetings. It’s not been a favourable matchup.
Highlights
Paris Masters Day 5 Quarter-Final Matches
All times are local (CET). Matches listed in main-draw order, not order of play.
