Jordan Thompson reaches first Masters quarter-final

Nearing the end of his terrific breakthrough year when he discovered tennis life really can begin at 30, Jordan Thompson has achieved another landmark by reaching the Paris Masters quarter-finals.

With a hard-earned 7-5 7-6 (7-5) win over French local favourite Adrian Mannarino on Thursday, the dogged Sydneysider was left celebrating a place in 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 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 with a quarter-final against home favourite Ugo Humbert.

Southpaw Humbert is on a high, though, after knocking out Alcaraz, the French Open and Wimbledon champ, 6-1 3-6 7-5 in the sensation of the championships on Thursday night (Friday AEDT).

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.

"It's what we've been working towards, these big results at big tournaments," he added after his two-hour 20-minute slog.

After reaching his ninth quarter-final of comfortably the best season of his singles career, Thompson, who looks set to improve on his current career-high world ranking of 28, 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."