Frenchman Gael Monfils withdrew hours before his match against Novak Djokovic in the Paris Masters on Thursday due to an adductor strain, sending the Serbian world No. 1 into the quarterfinals.
Monfils said he sustained the injury during his second-round victory over compatriot Adrian Mannarino, and an ultrasound on Thursday revealed a muscular lesion.
“I have the impression that to be optimistic, in about 10 days I will be at 100%, but because of muscular lesion, you just need rest,” Monfils told reporters, confirming that it was the end to his 2021 season.
Djokovic, who is playing his first tournament since finishing runner-up in the U.S. Open, will face United States’ Taylor Fritz who beat Britain’s Cameron Norrie in straight sets later on Thursday.
Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz also booked his place in the last 16 with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 win over Germany’s Dominik Koepfer, to improve his chances of qualifying for the ATP Finals in Turin last this month.
The season-ending tournament is played between the top eight men’s singles players and doubles teams.
Djokovic, Stefanos Tsitsipas, U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev and Matteo Berrettini have qualified for the event with two spots still up for grabs.
As it stands, Norway’s Casper Ruud is in seventh place while Hurkacz sits in the final automatic qualification spot.