Rinky Hijikata has finally been rudely awoken from his dream week at the Paris Masters as a new young French tennis hero dynamited the Australian battler's bold bid to reach his first big-time tennis semi-final.
For the third match running at the Plenitude Arena on Friday, Hijikata, who came from behind to defeat Novak Djokovic in the second round, battled back from a set down with some scintillating tennis as he quietened the home fans cheering for their new hope Luca Van Assche.
But, ultimately, it was the 22-year-old Paris-based Van Assche, also playing in his first Masters 1000 quarter-final, who rose to new heights as he came from 2-0 down in the final set to prevail 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 7-5 after a memorable two-and-three-quarter hour duel.
It meant the end of what felt like a major breakthrough week for the 25-year-old Sydneysider Hijikata, who looked early in that final set as if he was going to win his sixth match in seven days and become the first qualifier to reach the last-four at the Paris Masters in nine years.
Ultimately, he was defeated by a young player who reckoned he felt inspired by the crowd as he struggled physically in the deciding set.
"The crowd were so important for me, supporting me so much in the tough moments, and that's why I played my best tennis," said Belgian-born Van Assche, who becomes the 12th Frenchman to make the semi-finals in Paris and will next tackle American Ben Shelton.
Hijikata's consolation will be to start next week as Australia's No.2 behind Alex de Minaur as he's now entered the world's top-60 and he'll be again be able to take plenty of encouragement from the fearless attacking approach that left Djokovic marvelling earlier in the week: "He was just playing out of his mind."
Hijikata certainly continued with that fearless, aggressive streak in the second set tiebreak against Van Assche, maintaining his fine form by then earning an immediate break in the third set.
But Van Assche is one of the most highly regarded young talents in the game and his defensive prowess helped him turn the tide in the final set with some extraordinary wall-like resilience that kept forcing Hijikata to play one shot too many.
Third seed Shelton, bombing down 19 aces, had earlier prevailed in an all-American match-up to reach the Paris semis for the first time, roaring to a 6-4 4-6 6-3 win that ended Tommy Paul's quiet late bid to qualify for the ATP Finals in Turin later in November.
The victory sealed qualification for the end-of-season men's championship for another US star Frances Tiafoe, alongside world No.1 Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Shelton, Daniil Medvedev, Flavio Cobolli and Arthur Fils.
The final spot was set to be decided later on Friday. Should Taylor Fritz defeat Alcaraz to reach the semis, he'll book his place in Turin, but if he loses, young Spanish star Rafael Jodar will go instead.
