Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer will play each other for the first time this year after both won their quarter-finals on Friday at the Paris Masters.
Djokovic swept into the semi-finals with a 6-1 6-4 win over Stanislas Wawrinka, while Federer edged Juan Martin del Potro 6-3 4-6 6-3.
It will be the 30th meeting between the two, but the first since Djokovic defeated the Swiss great in the ATP World Tour final in London a year ago.
World No.1 and top seed Rafael Nadal stayed on course for a record sixth Masters Series title in the same year as he swatted aside Frenchman Richard Gasquet 6-4 6-1.
Djokovic, Paris Masters champion in 2009, said Federer was having a strong finish to what had been a disappointing season.
“Roger is probably experiencing the worst season that he had in last 10 years, but he’s still a player to beat in every tournament, because he’s Roger Federer, because he has won 17 grand slams, and we all know how successful a career he has.
“You cannot underestimate him, although maybe he’s not at the form where he was when he was No.1 of the world. But I have been watching his matches in Basel last week and here. I think he’s playing really well.”
Fifth seed Federer had lost for the third straight time to the towering Argentine in the final of his home Basel tournament on Sunday.
But with del Potro looking decidedly leg weary from his marathon efforts in recent weeks, winning 15 of 16 matches, Federer was in commanding form from the start.
The win was just the second this year for Federer against a top-10 player and boosted his hopes of salvaging something from what has been a dismal 12 months.
“So I’m happy now I won against a top 10 again, especially just before London where I will have to play against three top-10 players in a row.”
In the first quarter-final, second seed Djokovic made the perfect start against Wawrinka with a break in the second game to lead 3-0 and he wrapped up the first set 6-1.
The Swiss seventh seed had his chances early in the second set, but failed to convert any of four break points in the second game.
Wawrinka had already clinched a place in next week’s ATP World Tour Finals in London, his first appearance in the season-ending finale.
The Paris quarter-finals had flung up a star-studded line-up featuring the eight men who will contest the London finals.
It was the first time since Montreal in 2009 that eight of the top 10 players in the world had reached the quarter-finals of one of the Masters Series tournaments.
In the last quarter-final, defending champion and third seed David Ferrer set up a last-four showdown with Nadal, defeating Czech sixth seed Tomas Berdych 4-6 7-5 6-3.
