Dominic Thiem edged past defending champion Jack Sock 4-6 6-4 6-4 to reach the semi-finals of the Rolex Paris Masters.
The Austrian won in 2 hours and 14 minutes to reach his first hard court semi-final at masters 1000 level as he knocked out the defending champion.
As for Sock his loss today will mean he will fall out of the top 100 but should still get a place at the Australian Open through the wildcard challenge.
Thiem’s three set win means he will face Russian Karen Khachanov who reached his second masters 100 semi-final with a routine 6-1 6-2 win over an injured Alexander Zverev.
It was a tough start for Thiem who started slowly as the American stormed to an early 3-0 lead with some impressive forehands.
Despite the world number eight breaking back midway through the set, Sock stepped up his game in the big points and grabbed his second break of the set to seal the opening set.
This week saw Sock win back-to-back matches for the first time in 2018 and the American used his momentum to great effect in the match versus Thiem.
However as Thiem stepped up his play, the defending champion got slower and lacked the same focus in the second set.
A crucial break in the seventh game was enough for the Austrian as he forced a deciding set with Sock. The momentum was firmly with the 25 year-old as he looked to book his place in the semi-finals.
The American did provide moments of brilliance with his defence in the opening stages of the decider. However it wasn’t enough as Thiem sealed the important break on his fifth break point of the set.
Wasted opportunities turned out to be Sock’s downfall as he failed to get the match back on serve. Once Thiem had restored order he served the match out to seal his place in the last four. The loss for Sock means that he will leave the top 100 after failing to defend his title.
As for the Austrian he will now meet Karen Khachanov in the semi-finals after he eased past Alexander Zverev 6-1 6-2. The German suffered with shoulder problems throughout the match as the Russian eased to his second semi-final of his career at masters 1000 level.
