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Russian-Armenian Karen Khachanov won against Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, the No 8 seed, 6-2, 6-3 to move into the last four of Paris Masters at the Accor Arena on Friday evening. It marks Khachanov’s first semi-final at the event since 2018, where was crowned the champion, Tennis Majors reported.

It was clear from the outset that Dimitrov’s energy tank was running empty after spending nearly five hours on court during his previous two matches. Against an opponent like the Russian, not feeling 100 percent will not cut it, with Khachanov breaking in both of Dimitrov’s first two service games to lead 4-0. The former champion continued to serve well, backing it up with thunderous groundstrokes against a tiring opponent, claiming the first set 6-2.

In the second set, Dimitrov attempted to put up more of a fight, using his low slices to force the tall Russian into uncomfortable positions and take away his power. However, a costly double fault and a few unforced errors costed the Bulgarian the break at 3-3, and Khachanov rolled from there, breaking Dimitrov once again to claim the second set 6-3.

Overall, Khachanov did not face a single break point in the entire match, and it was Dimitrov’s lack of effectiveness in second serve points won – just 23 percent – that stood in stark comparison to the Russian – who was at an impressive 64 percent.

Khachanov, ranked No 21, will play Frenchman Ugo Humbert, the No 15 seed, next.

In the previous rounds of the Paris-Bercy tournament, Khachanov beat Australian lucky loser Christopher O’Connell (6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (6)), French wildcard Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (6-7 (12), 6-1, 6-4) and Australian Alexei Popyrin (7-6 (5), 6-4).