DEFYING the odds against the ATP Tour’s best indoor player in 2024, Czech Tomas Machac upset world number nine Grigor Dimitrov‘s chances of reaching the ATP Finals. Machac won the pair’s maiden encounter, winning 6-7 6-4 6-3 under the roof at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna.

The match itself lasted two hours and 31 minutes, with the 27th ranked Czech overcoming the third seed in a gripping battle. Despite falling a set behind, Machac kept fighting and eventually stood tall when it counted late in the deciding set.

“It was a great match and I am really happy that I could play against him, because I was watching him a lot on the TV when I was young,” Machac said. “I am really happy with my performance and I think that both players [played well].”

Machac won 54 per cent of his second serve points – as well as 72 per cent of his first – with Dimitrov a little lower off his second (48 per cent), but controlling play off his first (77 per cent) which came with 12 aces. In the end, Machac was able to break four times to two, which was ultimately the difference between the two players in the end.

The loss hurts Dimitrov’s chances of making it to Turin’s ATP Finals, with the Bulgarian overtaking Tommy Paul in 10th spot, but will need to chase both Andrey Rublev and Alex de Minaur with time drastically running out for the 33-year-old. Machac’s win moved the Czech up two spots to equal his career-high 25th in the world, with a quarter finals win seeing him surpass that by one spot.

Machac will take on British seventh seed Jack Draper in the quarter finals following his 7-5 6-1 victory over Italian Luciano Darderi in and hour and 17 minutes. Unfortunately for Dimitrov, de Minaur got the win over another Italian in Flavio Cobolli after Cobolli retired at 7-6 3-1 down.

Russian Karen Khachanov defeated Brandon Nakashima in a come-from-behind 1-6 6-3 6-4 result, while Czech qualifier Jakub Mensik reached the last eight with a 6-3 7-6 triumph over Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic.

Machac and Draper will kick off proceedings tonight, with top seed Alexander Zverev facing sixth seed Lorenzo Musetti after that. Fellow Italian Matteo Berrettini will lock horns with Khachanov in the third quarter final, before de Minaur meets Mensik to wrap up Friday’s action.

AROUND THE TOUR

At the Swiss Indoors in Basel, Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime‘s dream of a three-peat ended at the hands of powerful serving Frenchman, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. The 21-year-old produced another 22 aces and only dropped 10 points on serve to never give Auger-Aliassime a chance in the 6-1 7-6 victory.

It was better news for the other Canadian in wildcard Denis Shapovalov who ended Spanish veteran Roberto Bautista Agut‘s hot form 6-3 7-6, while both Swiss wildcards in Stan Wawrinka and Dominic Stricker fell to seeds Ben Shelton and Holger Rune in straight sets.

In the other Round of 16 matches, third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas overcame Dutch qualifier Botic Van de Zandschulp 7-6 7-5 to reach the quarter finals, joined by Next Gen Frenchman, Arthur Fils. The seventh seed was too good for Spaniard Pedro Martinez, 7-5 6-3.

In tonight’s quarter finals, Tsitsipas will face Fils in the first match, with Mpetshi Perricard locking horns with Shapovalov in the last contest of the day. In the other two, Shelton meets top seed Andrey Rublev – who is currently eighth in the ATP Race – while Rune will face off against Belgian lucky loser David Goffin.