It looks like only one favorite emerged unscathed.  Andy Murray was the first to go losing to the powerful Czech, Tomas Berdych.  Novak Djokovic had already withdrawn at the start of the day giving Jo-Wilfried Tsonga the day off and a relaxed route into the semifinals.

Then, in the last match of the day, David was playing Goliath.  In this scenario, David Ferrer was favored, but Isner had shown that he could beat steady baseliners as he did in the US Open when he beat the steady Gilles Simon.  While Isner’s fitness is questionable, his fight rarely is.  Combining a huge serve and forehand with smart tactics from his coach and a huge desire to win, the lumbering American often finds ways to win and he did it again against David Ferrer.

Isner engaged Ferrer in longer rallies and it was Ferrer that blinked making errors.  Isner took the first set 63.  However, Ferrer came back in the second set, 63.  The two stayed even in the third set when Isner won a longish rally, then Ferrer dumped an easy ball into the net, and Isner hit a return winner.  Ferrer closed net on the next point to save triple break point but was ultimately broken in the next point.  Isner then powered his serves to complete the upset, 63.

In the other match, Federer got broken early, but after that, played solid tennis to defeat Juan Monaco.  He got the break back and broke again in the first, then broke in the second for a comfortable, 63, 75 win.  He’ll be favored to win Paris, but it won’t be easy.

So the semifinals are: Isner vs. Tsonga and Federer vs. Berdych.  Can Isner pull the upset again?  If not, can Federer topple the two players that have given him the most trouble in the last two years with both playing pretty good tennis?  This is the one Masters 1000 title that Federer has not won.  Indeed, of the top four players, only Djokovic has ever won Paris.  Nadal, Federer, and Murray have never won Paris.  Indeed, they’ve never reached the finals.