Paris Masters 2011: Title Still Very Much Up for Grabs

It is quarterfinals day tomorrow at the Paris Masters, and even with the last eight it is difficult to discern a clear favourite.

There were some expected, startling, and stunning results in the third round today. David Ferrer cruised past Dog-man Dolgopolov, and Tomas Berdych simply bettered Tipsarevic. Tsonga outclassed Seppi, while Andy Murray and Roger Federer served up masterclasses in defeating Roddick and Gasquet respectively.

John Isner surprised somewhat with a probably deceptively easy-sounding scoreline, in victory over Feliciano Lopez, while the top seed Novak Djokovic continued to defy an aching body in battling past Troicki. The winner of 70 matches this year continues to defy, in winning matches with very little.

We thus, then, have four interesting quarterfinal matches tomorrow. Perhaps the least studded would be Ferrer and Isner, who have both exploited well the gaping hole of opportunity offered by one of the few quarters in a Masters Series tournament this year without a member of the Big Four. Ferrer is tough, but Isner has impressed, and one likes his chances with that serve, indoors.

Roger Federer's match against Juan Monaco on the other half promises to be another opportunity to express himself in full measure, and barring unexpected circumstances seems to bespeak a TMF Masterclass beatdown.

Murray and Berdych, sitting primed for battle just opposite Federer-Monaco might well have something seriously competitive to proffer, with Murray having all the shots, and Berdych all the power. As it is in tennis nowadays, however, it is often more about countering pace, than necessarily generating it; on current 17-match winning streak form, the world No. 3 should be the right bet.

Finally, we come to it, the battle royale of this week–Djokovic's much anticipated encounter against Tsonga, the French favourite. There will be hard blows, and determined, racquet slashing war.

It is hard to pick a clear winner between the two, with Djokovic's dubious physical condition, and Tsonga's recent battle eagerness. It would have made for salivation, though, even if they were both in top shape. One will go out on a limb here– Tsonga in three.

As it stands, the quarterfinals seem, for at least half of them, reasonably predictable. But the tournament isn't, and wont be decided in the round of eight–nor will the winners here, and how they win, mean anything come Saturday. Federer and Murray might make it to the semis, and they ought to be the favourites for the moment. For the final legs of the final Masters Series of 2011, we shall wait and see.