Paris Quarterfinals

The top players missed the memo this year that the Paris Masters is supposed to be about upsets and surprise winners.  The tournament has seen 10 different champions in 10 years and Marat Safin was the last man to win the event more than once.  Here is a quick list of those 10, going back to '03:  Henman, Safin, Berdych, Davydenko, Nalbandian, Tsonga, Djokovic, Soderling, Federer, and Ferrer.

But this year it is as if the players somehow mistook Bercy for London.  The eight men left standing are the eight qualifiers for London after Raonic bit the dust today.  However, because the seeds have held (only Tsonga among top 8 seeds has lost) we should have a very entertaining weekend.

1) Rafael Nadal (ESP)
2) Novak Djokovic (SRB)
3) David Ferrer (ESP)
4) Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG)
5) Roger Federer (SUI)
6) Tomas Berdych (CZE)
7) Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI)
9) Richard Gasquet (FRA)

-Nadal, Federer, Berdych, and Wawrinka have not dropped a set in their two matches.  Djokovic lost one to Isner, Ferrer to Rosol, Del Potro to Dimitrov, and Gasquet to Verdasco
-Ferrer and Berdych are the only returning quarterfinalists from 2012, in what was a tournament filled with upsets.  Janowicz and Simon came one round short of getting back, Llodra and Tsonga lost their first match, and Tipsarevic and Querrey skipped the event.
-Only one American was in the draw: Isner beat Przysiezny in 3 sets and then saved 6 break points and won the first set from Djokovic.  Then his level dipped, Djokovic surged, or he got partially or something and he won only 3 games the remainder the match.

This has the potential to be a great final 7 matches of a Masters event.  Nadal and Djokovic have looked decent at the top but beatable and Nadal is not on his best surface.  I don't think Gasquet will give him trouble but here Ferrer or Berdych could bother him.  I'm not counting out Federer but he would need to go through Del Potro, Djokovic, and possibly Nadal to win the title which is probably too much to ask.  I think Djokovic will reach the final and likely win the tournament and he is on a bit of a roll right now.  I think Nadal will lose prior to the final, at any rate I don't think he'll beat Djokovic if he were to make the final.  And we could still have somewhat of an upset winner if Del Potro or Berdych get hot.  Just sit back and enjoy this, and then get ready for more top matchups in London next week.

Quarterfinal matchups:
-Nadal vs Gasquet
-Ferrer vs Berdych
-Del Potro vs Federer
-Djokovic vs Wawrinka