Djokovic had a chance to make the ATP Finals in Turin if he could reach the Paris semifinals, but found an inspired opponent in Hijikata.
"I wasn't even close to his level in that set. I couldn't touch his serve either, he was acing me for fun," beamed Hijikata in an interview with Sky Sports. "I knew I just had to really hang tough, and take it to him and play aggressive, impose myself, and I guess in the end I was glad I could maintain my level for as long as I did and trust myself in the big moments."
Meanwhile, Australia's number one ranked player Alex de Minaur had his hopes of making the ATP Finals for a third consecutive year dashed with an upset loss to world number 31 Tomas Martin Etcheverry. The Argentine earned his first ever victory over a top-10 player 7-6 (7-2), 6-3 at Paris's Plenitude Arena.
De Minaur was nowhere near his best, serving a crucial double fault at 2-3 down in the second set to hand Etcheverry the key break. The loss left de Minaur stranded in ninth place in the live Race to Turin standings, one spot behind Spanish sensation Rafael Jodar, with no chance of picking up more points as Paris is the last qualifying event.
His only hope now of entering the Turin field is if one of the current top eight withdraw. Flavio Cobolli, who has already qualified, is not competing in Paris because of a leg injury but is expected to be fit for the Italian event. De Minaur could yet be overtaken by others before the week in Paris is out.