Luca Van Assche vs Rinky Hijikata Preview & Prediction | 2026 Paris Masters | Quarter-final

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Two underdogs collide in the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters as Luca Van Assche takes on Rinky Hijikata.

Ranking points: ATP 1000

Start date/time: 6 November 2026 at 2:10 pm

Venue: La Defense Arena, Paris, France

Surface: Indoor hard

How to watch on TV: UK – Sky Sports Tennis / US – Tennis Channel

How to watch online: UK – Sky Go / US – Tennis Channel

Tickets: Visit this link for the latest Luca Van Assche vs Rinky Hijikata ticket information

Luca Van Assche vs Rinky Hijikata prediction

Luca Van Assche had to dig deep on Thursday in the Round of 16 to overcome an in-form Lorenzo Musetti 7-5, 3-6, 6-4. That win came after an impressive straight-sets victory over Learner Tien, and the 22-year-old is enjoying one of the best weeks of his career so far.

He takes on Rinky Hijikata, who is also having one of the best weeks of his career, having come through two rounds of qualifying and three rounds in the main draw, including a stunning comeback win against Novak Djokovic.

Hijikata had to produce similar heroics in the Round of 16, as after losing the first set to Tomas Martin Etcheverry, he responded in style once again to win 2-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Hijikata does not know when he is beaten, and the most impressive part of his last two wins has been his ability to change things up after disappointing first sets and turn matches around. It will be interesting to see how it plays out against Van Assche.

Hijikata once again comes in as the underdog, but it is hard to make a real case for either man. It would be no surprise if he eventually runs out of gas, having already played five matches in Paris, while Van Assche is digging deep and playing really good tennis himself.

The Frenchman gets our marginal preference, even if it feels wrong to write off Hijikata given his last two performances. We can see this one going deep, with three sets likely, and our preferred play is on the games.

Luca Van Assche vs Rinky Hijikata tip: Over 22.5 total games