ATP Paris Masters: Sock defeats Benneteau 7-5, 6-2

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To France for tennis and the semi-finals of the Paris Masters. After the favourite Rafael Nadal pulled out with a knee injury, the tournament seems up for grabs, and one of the players looking to make the most of it would be Jack Sock. The 16th seeded American was taking on local wildcard Julien Benneteau with a chance to reach the first Masters final of his career.

That's Sock in the near court facing game point at 2-2. If the 25 year old can win this match and go on to claim the title, he would jump into the eighth and last spot at the ATP Finals in London, and that forehand gets him closer. Now tied at 5, Sock turns up the pressure on Benneteau's serve and comes to the net to put away a volley, en route to taking the set 7-5.

The second starts out even, but Sock begins to pull away here in the fifth game, as the American delivers a backhand to the corner and later breaks the Frenchman. On match point, Benneteau returns long and Sock prevails 6-2 in the frame and is into the biggest title match of his career.

This is Serbian qualifier Filip Krajinovic serving to John Isner in the other semi-final, and when the ninth seeded American hits the net, Karjinovic takes the first set 6-4. The second goes to a tiebreak, which Isner wins with one of his 31 aces in the match.

The decider also needs a tiebreaker, and Krajinovic brings up match point with that return. And the 25-year-old Serb is going to close it out on his first try with a booming forehand. The world number 77 collapses to the court, overcome at having reached his first ATP Tour final, but not as carried away as that guy, while Isner's chance of reaching the Tour Finals in London is ended.