Aussie Hijikata backs up Djokovic triumph with another big win in Paris

Rinky Hijikata into Paris Masters quarterfinals after defeating Tomas Martin Etcheverry In short: Rinky Hijikata is in the quarterfinals of an ATP Masters event for the first time after a three-set win over Tomas Martin Etcheverry in Paris. Hijikata stunned Novak Djokovic in the previous round and is set to enter the world's top 60 for the first time in his career. What's next? Hijikata will face Frenchman Luca Van Assche in the quarterfinals. Rinky Hijikata has backed up his statement win over Novak Djokovic with another impressive victory in Paris, downing Alex de Minaur's conqueror, Tomas Martin Etcheverry, to reach his first ATP Masters quarterfinal. The 25-year-old Australian came from behind to beat the Argentine world number 31 2-6, 6-3, 7-5. Besides making the last eight, where he will face local favourite Luca Van Assche, he has climbed into the world's top 60 for the first time in his career. Beginning the event in qualifying, ranked at number 83, Hijikata has beaten five higher-ranked players so far and will climb to number 48 if he does it again. Many a tennis underdog has pulled off a shock win but, drained by the feat and the attention, they rarely back it up. It seemed as if this would be the case with Hijikata in the French capital on Thursday, local time, when he lost the first set in 26 minutes. The Sydneysider lost the first eight points, and while he then held to love to get into the tie, he was broken again in his third service game. Hijikata survived a break point in the 12-minute opening game of the second set, then broke in the fourth game. He maintained that advantage to win the set in 43 minutes and force a decider. That went with serve until 5-5. Hijikata had to save three break points at 1-2, but his other four service matches had all been serenely held to love. However, he had not forced a break point of his own. Now, at the key moment, he did, and he took it. That left Hijikata serving for the match. He opened with an ace. Etcheverry levelled to 15-all, but Hijikata won the next three points to take the game, set and match, ending with an emphatic forehand smash across court. Hijikata celebrated joyously, prompting television pundit Ryan Harrison, the American former top-40 player, to comment: "He is a guy who is typically mild-mannered; he's as fired up as I've ever seen him before." Next up is 47-ranked Van Assche, who beat Lorenzo Musetti 7-5 3-6 6-4 in a seesaw epic that had the crowd gripped after watching two French defeats. Hijikata has never played Van Assche and will also have to deal with a home support that helped Van Assche come back from two break points down at 3-4 in the third. He won 12 of the next 13 points to seal the match. That came after Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul overcame home hopes to set up an all-American quarterfinal. Twelfth-seed Paul saw off Quentin Halys 7-6 (7-3) 6-4, but Shelton was pushed hard by Arthur Rinderknech. The third seed eventually won 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5). Earlier, Carlos Alcaraz received a walkover into the quarterfinals after Matteo Berrettini withdrew from their third-round clash with an arm injury. The match had been scheduled to headline the evening session, but the Italian world number 43 pulled out after experiencing pain in his arm. Second seed Alcaraz advanced directly to the last eight, where he will face Taylor Fritz, who inflicted another American defeat on the hosts when he beat Arthur Fils 6-3, 6-4. In the other quarterfinal, Portuguese lucky loser Nuno Borges, who beat Ignacio Buse 6-0, 6-2, will play Casper Ruud or Jan-Lennard Struff. AAP