With a hard-earned win over local favourite Adrian Mannarino, Jordan Thompson has reached an ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinal for the first time in 28 attempts stretching back seven years.
Paris, France, 1 November 2024 | Ian Chadband (AAP)
Nearing the end of his terrific breakthrough year when he discovered tennis life can soar at 30, Jordan Thompson has achieved another landmark by reaching the Paris Masters quarter-final.
With a hard-earned 7-5 7-6(5) win over French local favourite Adrian Mannarino on Thursday, the dogged Sydneysider has made it into the last eight of an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time in 28 attempts stretching back seven years.
After a 2024 campaign in which he’s won his first ATP singles crown in Los Cabos and a maiden Grand Slam doubles title at the US Open, ‘Thommo’ is now in uncharted territory in Bercy as he prepares to face another Frenchman, Ugo Humbert, in the last eight.
3 – Since the format’s inception in 1990, Jordan Thompson is now only the third Australian aged 30+ to reach an ATP Masters 1000 QF, along with Wayne Arthurs (Cincinnati 2002) and Matthew Ebden (Shanghai 2018). Spring.#RolexParisMasters | @RolexPMasters @atptour @ATPMediaInfo pic.twitter.com/ERZiYFTxyk
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) October 31, 2024
Humbert upstaged reigning Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz, the No.2 seed, 6-1 3-6 7-5 on Thursday evening.
In a fantastic day for Australia, Thompson’s countryman Alex de Minaur beat in-form Jack Draper to join him in the quarterfinals – the first time two Aussies have reached the quarterfinals at the same edition of the Paris Masters in the event’s 38-year history at Bercy.
> READ MORE: De Minaur powers into position for ATP Finals place
It means De Minaur takes a step closer to qualifying for the ATP Finals; he would become the first Australian to appear in singles at the prestigious season-ending event since Lleyton Hewitt 20 years ago.
Thompson had to earn one of the most significant results of his career the hard way at the Palais Omnisports against the idiosyncratic Mannarino, the languid leftie with the economical style.
Both players struggled to generate pace and were prone to errors in a tough contest – particularly Mannarino, who made 44 unforced mistakes.
Thompson took advantage of one awful service game by the veteran Frenchman at the end of the first set, breaking him to love.
In the second stanza, Thompson felt he began to “lose it a little bit” as Mannarino hit back to break him at 5-5 and then earn two set points on his own delivery.
“It was getting a little bit squeaky out there, but I did well to turn it around from 6-5, 40-15, and I actually found some of my best points and managed to sneak out a win in the tiebreaker,” Thompson said after his two-hour, 20-minute slog.
“It’s what we’ve been working towards, these big results at big tournaments.”
Worth the wait 🙌
30-year-old @jordanthommmo2 defeats Mannarino 7-5 7-6 to reach his first Masters quarter-final! #RolexParisMasters pic.twitter.com/uQsz67ufd9
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 31, 2024
After reaching his ninth quarterfinal of comfortably the best season of his singles career, Thompson, who has risen to a career-high world ranking of No.26 in the ATP live rankings, reflected on his brilliant year in both doubles and singles.
“For sure, I think the doubles has really helped my reactions. Early in the second set, down a break point, I pulled a half-volley out of nowhere,” he said.
“I feel comfortable at the net, and returning’s a fraction easier.”
