World-number-two Novak Djokovic took on Stanislas Wawrinka in the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters this afternoon hoping to continue his 13-match winning streak against the Swiss.
After an evenly-contested opening three games, the seven-time Grand Slam champion produced some of his best tennis to claim the first set by a 6-1 scoreline.
Wawrinka, who qualified for the ATP Tour finals in London next week in the process of reaching the last eight, presented the Serbian with a sterner test in the second, but an important break in the seventh put Djokovic on his way to victory.
The second seed maintained his excellent defence on serve to complete a straight-sets triumph over the world number eight, and become the first player to qualify for the semi-finals at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy tournament.
Below, you can read how the action unfolded in France.
Bonjour, tennis fans. This is the first of today's four Paris Masters quarter-finals, all of which will be being brought to you live, courtesy of Sports Mole's play-by-play coverage.
Today's matches act as a preview for next week's season-ending ATP Tour finals event at the O2 Arena, with all eight of the competitors in action having qualified for London next week.
It promises to be an enthralling day of high-quality tennis, with the top-eight players in the world having all progressed to the quarter-finals of a Masters event for the first time since Montreal 2009.
The players have been out on court warming up for around 10 minutes now, and they have both taken their seats for the final time before the start of this contest, which is imminent.
PREDICTION: These two competed in a stunning five-set semi-final at this year's US Open, but I don't expect this one to go to the maximum three-set distance. Djokovic in two, for me.
Djokovic to serve. Play...
The Serbian holds serve in the opening game, but he did not have it all his own way. He raced into a 40-0 lead, but a delicate touch around the net helped Wawrinka pull the scores back to 40-30. Djokovic responded, though, with a winning volley of his own to get himself up and running.
BREAK! Djokovic gets an early break, which Wawrinka partially gifted to him with some unforced errors. The Swiss replied from 0-30 down to force deuce, which the scores returned to twice before the world number two broke at his second opportunity. There was some superb returning from Djokovic in between Wawrinka errors.
Wawrinka comes close to an immediate reply, beating Djokovic with a brilliant one-handed backhand down the line to go 15-40 ahead. As he often does, though, the Serbian comes out on top in a mammoth rally to force deuce, although Wawrinka had a great chance at a passing winner after Djokovic had only succeeded in dropping an overhead over the net. From deuce, the seven-time Grand Slam champion held to open up a three-game lead.
Wawrinka gets himself on the scoreboard, but was in a precarious position at 30-30. Fortunately for the Swiss, Djokovic's backhand while coming forward struck the net chord, and Wawrinka put him away with a classic serve and volley, sending his opponent out wide and then volleying into the gaping space.
The first convincing hold from either player as Djokovic beats Wawrinka to love, offering him little opportunity to attack by dictating from the backcourt. The Swiss is trying everything to stay with his imperious foe, but sometimes even his best isn't enough.
BREAK! A double fault, and two missed forehands, one long and one into the net, help Djokovic on his way to a 0-40 lead, which he turns into a double-break advantage with some resilient play from the backcourt and then great defence at the net. Now he serves for the set...
SET! Djokovic takes the first of two set points to wrap up the opener in just under half-an-hour. After an evenly-contested first three games, it has been magnificent percentage tennis from the Serbian, who has been hitting gaps, moving Wawrinka across the court and grinding him down.
Wawrinka makes an important hold at the start of this second set. Considering the way that Djokovic finished the second, if he would have snatched an early break, that momentum would have made a comeback from the seventh seed very unlikely.
There is a sniff of a break for the Swiss at 15-30, but Djokovic responds with a superb change up in serve, smashing a topspin ace down the middle. Wawrinka shows that he has quite the arsenal of shots too, with a slice that changed the pace of the rally and caught Djokovic off guard, but another slice goes long as he fails to break for the third time in this contest. He thinks he has a fourth chance when the line judge calls long on a Djokovic forehand, which is challenged and quickly overturned. We are back at deuce for a third time when the Serbian opens up his body just a little too much and sends a forehand wide, but he saves two more break points before getting the benefit of an overrule from the umpire and a wild forehand from Wawrinka. A real opportunity spurned by the 28-year-old.
Wawrinka initially saves three break points by coming back from 0-40 to take Djokovic to deuce for the fourth time in this contest. The Serbian has another break point opportunity foiled with a brilliant down-the-line backhand from the Swiss, who produced another to hold after an outrageous lob from each player had landed just inside the baseline. Wawrinka is fighting with everything he has here!
Another missed opportunity at a break for Wawrinka, who had put himself 30-40 up with a forehand passing shot that just about split Djokovic in half at the net. It's a familiar story for the Swiss, though, who takes his resilient opponent to deuce before failing to complete the job.
That one-handed backhand is coming off perfectly for Wawrinka today, as he unleashes another into the corner on his way to holding to love in by far his most comfortable service game so far in this encounter.
The umpire gives Djokovic an official warning for slow play between points, and the Serbian responds by winning three points in a row to hold to 15. Wawrinka is striking the ball as cleanly as he has done all match, but Djokovic combats this with some beautifully subtle touches at the net, where he is 13 from 16 today.
BREAK! This could be the decisive moment in this contest, as Djokovic steamrollers Wawrinka to love on his way to going a break up in this second set. The Swiss will be cursing the umpire's decision to reprimand Djokovic, who has been unstoppable, winning seven points in a row, since being spoken to about the time he takes between serves. Don't make Novak angry!
Djokovic is now just one game away from beating Wawrinka for the 13th consecutive occasion, as the Swiss slices a backhand wide and then into the net to help his opponent move two games clear.
A rapid service game from Wawrinka, who holds to 15 courtesy of some excellent combination play, forcing Djokovic to the net with a smart drop shot before converting the volley into the middle of the court. He must now do what he has failed to do so far this afternoon, though, and break the world number two.
GAME, SET, MATCH! Wawrinka goes back to his power game to move into a 0-30 lead, but Djokovic replies with a wide serve from which his opponent finds the net. A tame forehand and another error from the seventh seed gives Djokovic match point, which he takes at the first opportunity as the Swiss fires that trusted one-handed down-the-line backhand, that had served him so well this afternoon, wide. Djokovic is into the semi-finals!
So, we have the identity of the first semi-finalist, and it is the seven-time Grand Slam champion, who overcame Wawrinka thanks to a first-set masterclass and a determined display on serve in the second. He will face the winner of our next match, Roger Federer vs. Juan Martin del Potro, which you can also follow on Sports Mole. Join me onto that commentary very shortly!
