Novak Djokovic needed a third set tiebreak to squeeze past world number five Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (7/4) on Saturday (Nov 5) and reach the final of the Paris Masters. The Serbian will face Danish teenager Holger Rune who earlier beat in-form Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 6-2 to reach a first Masters final.
Novak Djokovic held off a spirited comeback from fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas to join Denmark teenager Holger Rune in the Paris Masters final.
The 35-year-old Serb had to work hard to keep hopes of a record-extending seventh Paris title alive before winning 6-2 3-6 7-6 (7-4).
Rune, 19, beat in-form Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4 6-2 to reach his very first Masters 1000 final.
He gained revenge after losing to the Canadian in the Swiss Indoors final.
World number seven Djokovic roared in delight and cupped his ears at the net after converting his first match point.
It was a visceral celebration that shows the 21-time Grand Slam champion remains a fierce competitor as he booked an eighth place in the final at this event.
He cantered to the opening set on the back of two breaks of serve, only to be broken twice as Greece's Tsitsipas won an equally one-sided second set.
Tsitsipas kept his nose in front after serving first in the decider, although he had to battle hard, saving four break points on his way to the tie-break.
Djokovic, meanwhile, was playing catch-up and twice had to serve to stay in the match, each time doing so to love, before winning the final four points of the tie-break to clinch victory in just under two hours 20 minutes.
Rune reaches first Masters 1000 final
World number 18 Rune did not drop his serve and took five of eight break points to end in-form Auger-Aliassime's 16-match winning run in the first semi-final.
Auger-Aliassime, 22, who is ranked eighth in the world, won titles in Florence, Antwerp and Basel in that stretch, defeating Rune in the Swiss Indoors final last week, but the Dane triumphed this time.
Rune, who beat a top-10 player for the fourth straight match including world number one Carlos Alcarez in the quarter-finals, is vying to become the first teenager to win the Paris Masters since an 18-year-old Boris Becker in 1986.
