PARIS (AP) — Novak Djokovic beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(4) in an entertaining semi-final at the Paris Masters on Saturday and will look to extend his record to seven titles at this tournament.

The 21-time Grand Slam champion will face Danish teenager Holger Rune, who has never reached a Masters final before.

Tsitsipas trailed 15-40 on serve in game nine of the deciding set, but within two break points – the second with a sublime backhand drop after a long rally – and stayed at 5-4.

“Amazing points towards the end,” Djokovic said. “I feel really happy to take on this challenge.”

Djokovic led 4-3 in the tie-break but won the next two points to take a 5-4 lead with two serves to come against the Greek.

After a weak second serve, she used excellent defense to take advantage when Tsitsipas hit a forehand into the net for her first match point. He then defined with a smash.

“It’s very nice to win games like this against one of the best players in the world,” Djokovic said. “I felt like I started the game very well, like yesterday I had chances in the second. The momentum changed, people got excited. I think he raised his level of tennis.”

Djokovic has beaten Tsitsipas in nine of their 11 encounters, including the last eight. Tsitsipas has won two of his first three meetings, the last in the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters in 2019.

The Serb is looking to extend his record to seven Paris Masters, 39 at Masters level, the fifth title of the season and the 91st of his career.

Earlier, an inspired Rune beat eighth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 6-2 on Saturday in the other semi-final and will seek his first title at this level.

Rune, 19, will face six-time champion Novak Djokovic or fifth seed Stefan Tsitsipas, who were playing their match later, in his first Masters final.

The Dane, whose two career titles date back to this year, reached a final for the fourth consecutive time.

In his first Masters semi-final, he won 86% of his first service points and faced no break points. This ended Auger-Aliassime’s 16-game winning streak and the Canadian’s bid for his fourth consecutive title.

Auger-Aliassime defeated Rune last Sunday in the Swiss Open indoor final.