UGO Humbert is the sole unseeded player through to the ATP Paris Masters 1000 quarter finals with the up and coming Frenchman joining a host of top 10 seeds in the final eight. Aside from Humbert’s upset win over second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas back in the second round, the lowest ranked seed in the quarter finals is 10th seed Milos Raonic.

In his latest win, Humbert showed he had more than enough firepower to dismiss fellow power server Marin Cilic, 6-3 6-7 6-3. Despite losing the second set in a tiebreaker, Humbert managed to claim victory in two hours and 24 minutes. He served 19 aces to 11, and had a higher serving efficiency of 59 to 54 per cent which helped him with an additional 15 points off the first serve as both players stood as an 84 per cent winning record off that service point.

“My game is a bit different. I try to play more aggressive,” Humbert said post-match. “[I’ve played] good matches against great players.”

More importantly, Humbert was only broken once from four chances for Cilic, whilst Humbert broke his opponent three times from eight chances on his way to the Round of 16 win. He now takes on Raonic who made light work of the lowest ranked player remaining in the third round, defeating American qualifier Marcos Giron 7-6 6-2.

The big serving Canadian slammed home 17 aces for only one double fault, won 30 of 34 points off his first serve and only dropped nine points in total off serve to not face a break point at any stage in the match. He managed to break Giron twice in the second set to storm home in 81 minutes after a tight first set tiebreaker.

Desperate to secure his spot in the ATP Finals, Diego Schwartzman completely dismantled Next-Gen Spanish talent Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in 61 minutes. The Argentinian counter puncher saved all four break point opportunities for his opponent, whilst capitalising on five of six on his way to a massive 6-1 6-1 victory and into the quarter finals.

“I thought the match was going to be very tough, as we played just 10 days ago,” Schwartzman said post-match. “I did everything well today, serving and moving well. “I am trying to do everything I can to be in London [at the Nitto ATP Finals].”

Schwartzman will now get a good test in the quarter finals going up against Daniil Medvedev after the third seed came from behind to down 16th seed Australian, Alex de Minaur. The Russian won 5-7 6-2 6-2 in an hour and 51 minutes with 13 aces and winning 74 per cent of his first serve points off a 64 per cent clip. The Australian had similar numbers, but Medvedev also won 54 per cent of his second serve, which was much higher than de Minaur’s 38 per cent for the Russian to book his spot in the next round.

The only man standing in the way of his ATP Finals dream is ninth seed Pablo Carreno Busta who has to win the Paris Masters whilst hoping Schwartzman bows out in his next match, in order to grab the final spot at the tournament. Carreno Busta took care of Slovakian qualifier Norbert Gombos in the Round of 16 with a 7-5 6-2 triumph in 80 minutes to book his spot in the quarter finals. He broke his opponent six times to being broken three, whilst had a superior first and second serve percentage throughout the straight sets wins.

His next opponent is going to be on another level though, facing world number two and top seed in Paris, Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard won 6-1 7-6 against a gallant Jordan Thompson who created a set point in the second set – his only break point of the entire match – but could not follow through, eventually going down 7-3 in the second set tiebreaker. Nadal just had too much polish for the 61st ranked Australian, ably to move through to the last eight to face his compatriot.

“I think I played a good first set,” Nadal said post-match. “A lot of good shots, good winners, serving well. “And then in the second, [I] was not able to find a way to [get] the break. “He started to serve very well, I think, and I missed a couple of returns that I could do better, I should do better.”