Alcaraz has played Djokovic once before, overcoming the Serbian en route to triumphing at last year's Madrid Open.
The teenager's success in Madrid marked his fifth tour-level title, and his second at an ATP 1000 event.
Earlier in March, Alcaraz claimed his third ATP 1000 title with victory at the Indian Wells Open, seeing the 19-year-old leapfrog Djokovic – who has been unable to compete in the United States due to his COVID-19 vaccination status – back to the top of the world rankings.
Djokovic claimed in interview with The National in February that he was still the best player in the world when at 100 per cent fitness.
Alcaraz, for his part, shares that view.
"Well, it is tough one, but, I have to play against Novak when he's at 100 per cent," Alcaraz told reporters after beating Tommy Paul at the Miami Open, where he is defending champion.
"I would say in Madrid he played really, really well. So it was close. But I agree with him. When he's 100 per cent, probably the best player in the world.
"What Novak has achieved, the level of Novak for example in Australia was unbelievable, really high.
"So as I said before, I really want to play against Novak when he's 100 per cent and I'm sure I'm going to enjoy it. That's all I can say right now."
Alcaraz remains on course for the Sunshine Double – winning both the Indian Wells Open and Miami Open in the same season.
"I try not to think about that but it's difficult," he said. "You know, it's something that I really want. I want to be part of the few players that won the Sunshine Double.
"So for me, would be great to achieve that, but it's something that I try not think about and try to think about day by day, match by match, and that's all.
"But of course it could be great to be part of that group of few players."
Eleven players, including Djokovic – on four occasions – have won the Sunshine Double, with WTA number one Iga Swiatek the latest to achieve the feat last season.
Alcaraz saw his bid for a third successive Madrid Open crown halted by Rublev in the quarter-finals on Wednesday, the Spaniard being pegged back after taking the opening set in a 4-6 6-3 6-2 loss.
The two-time grand slam champion – who had won his previous 24 matches at Spanish clay-court events – looked tired throughout that match and has now withdrawn from next week's ATP 1000 Masters event in Rome.
In a post to X, Alcaraz wrote: "I felt pain after playing in Madrid, discomfort in my arm.
"Today I had some tests and I have muscle edema in the pronator teres, a consequence of my last injury. Unfortunately I won't be able to play in Rome. I need rest to recover and be able to play 100 per cent pain-free."
Alcaraz only has limited time to recover if he is to feature at the year's second major, with the French Open due to begin on May 20.
Alcaraz's conqueror Rublev advanced to the final of the Madrid event on Friday, producing a commanding performance to beat American Taylor Fritz 6-4 6-3 in the last four.
Rublev entered the Madrid Open on a run of four straight losses, but he is now into his third ATP Masters 1000 final since the start of 2023 – a tally only bettered by Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev (four apiece).
His opponent in Sunday's showpiece match will be Auger Aliassime, who progressed by virtue of a walkover on Friday after semi-final opponent Jiri Lehecka was forced to retire through injury.
Lehecka left the court for treatment on a back injury after just six games, with Auger Aliassime having held serve for 3-3. He only managed to play three further points on his return before calling the match to a halt in a disappointing ending to the night session.
Data Debrief: Lucky Auger Aliassime
Auger Aliassime would surely have preferred to win his semi-final the traditional way, but the Canadian should be fresh for Sunday's final after spending very limited time on court.
He has progressed through three rounds at this year's Madrid Open courtesy of a retirement or walkover, with Jakub Mensik and Jannik Sinner also stricken.
He is the first player since 1990 to progress through three rounds via retirement or walkover at a single ATP Masters event.
Back in his home country of Spain, Alcaraz eased to a 6-3 6-3 triumph to set up a fourth-round clash with Jan-Lennard Struff, whom he beat in last year's final.
The first six games of the opening set went to serve, but Alcaraz found a crucial break in the seventh and ninth games of the set to put him in pole position for victory, a lead he would not relinquish as he overcame being broken in the seventh game of the second set to seal his safe progression.
Holger Rune was a surprise casualty as the world number 12 was defeated 6-4 4-6 6-3 by Tallon Griekspoor, though world number eight Andrey Rublev eased through with a straight-sets win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Data debrief
With his triumph over Seyboth Wild at the Madrid Open, Alcaraz has now won 93.3 per cent of his games at the tournament. That is the highest win percentage of any player with at least 10 games played in a single ATP-1000 event since the format was introduced in 1990.
Against Seyboth Wild, Alcaraz won 27 of his 31 first-serve points, also recording 19 winners to his opponent's 10 as he dominated the contest on his way to victory.
The Russian has had a remarkable week at the Masters 1000 event that included a stunning win over 11-time champion Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals.
Rublev continued his fine run with a 6-3 7-5 win over Casper Ruud on Saturday to ensure he will do battle against Tsitsipas in his first final at this level.
Tsitsipas comfortably saw off Dan Evans – who had beaten Novak Djokovic earlier in the tournament – winning his semi-final 6-2 6-1.
Rublev had 21 winners in his 80-minute victory over Ruud and has a record of 24-4 this season, the ATP Tour's best.
"It is an amazing feeling - it is my first [Masters] final, so I am really happy," said Rublev.
"We will see what is going to happen [in the final]. I will try to do my best.
"Casper is a really amazing player, especially on clay. Since the beginning he put a really high intensity [on the court] and was really tough.
"I knew that I needed to raise my level if I wanted to fight against him, because if I [did] not raise the level I [would] lose for sure."
Rublev defeated Tsitsipas in straight sets on his way to winning an ATP 500 title in Rotterdam last month.
Six of his eight ATP titles have come since the start of last year.
It took Tsitsipas, who has not won a tournament for 14 months, only one hour and nine minutes to see off the challenge of Evans, forcing 11 break points to the Briton's one.
"I am indeed pleased with the performance," Tsitsipas said, with the Greek yet to drop a set in Monte Carlo.
"I found ways to play at my best. It was really difficult to maintain my level of consistency and I am really happy I managed to deal with all the different moments during the match.
"I'm feeling good. I'm feeling energised. I still have plenty of gas and energy left in me. I was able to have all of my matches done in two sets, so that is a big plus.
"I am happy to be able to play that way, just take it match by match, approach each individual match with the same intensity and energy - I'm really focused for Sunday."
Rublev has won three of his six career meetings with Tsitsipas and one of their two battles on clay.
Tsitsipas will be competing in his third Masters final, having lost to Nadal and Djokovic in his two previous appearances, the last of which came two years ago in Madrid.
Overall, Tsitsipas has won just five of his 13 ATP finals.
It is the latest in a string of hard-fought wins for Murray, who has played the maximum number of sets in each of his past 10 victories dating back to the Gijon Open in October, including a pair of five-setters at the Australian Open.
Etcheverry started strong, fresh off his first ever ATP final at the Chile Open, but committed more unforced errors (21) than winners (17) in the second and third sets combined.
Fellow Great Britain representative Jack Draper was far more comfortable in his 6-1 6-1 demolition of Switzerland's Leandro Riedi, booking an all-English clash against Daniel Evans in the second round.
Former world number three Stan Wawrinka prevailed 6-4 1-6 6-1 against Aleksandar Vukic, but Vukic's Australian compatriot Thanasi Kokkanakis flew the flag with a 6-4 6-1 triumph over hometown talent Brandon Holt.
In a better result for the Americans, Mackenzie McDonald breezed past Filip Krajinovic 6-3 6-0 in just 63 minutes, and rising 20-year-old Ben Shelton had no problems in his 6-4 6-1 win over Fabio Fognini in 72 minutes.
Argentina's Guido Pella ground out 3-6 7-5 6-2 comeback in his South American clash against Brazil's Thiago Monteiro, and Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff did the same in his European showdown against France's Quentin Halys, taking it 1-6 6-3 6-3.
Murray has not played on the ATP Tour since last month's Rotterdam Open, where the three-time major champion lost to Andrey Rublev in the round of 16.
But Murray – who won the ATP 1000 event in 2009 and 2013 – is set to end his Miami absence, having undergone hip surgeries in 2018 and 2019.
"It's a city I love, and I've spent a lot of time here over the last 15 years, I feel comfortable," the 33-year-old, who sat out the Australian Open after testing positive for coronavirus, told PEOPLE Magazine.
"But over the next few months, I want to play matches — especially against the top players — work on my game and climb the rankings. I want to get back playing a sport I love."
Murray added: "The last few years has been really hard. After the operation, there were no guarantees I would play again, but I've been working very hard on my conditioning and over the last few months I've felt the best I have for years.
"I'll need to be mindful of my schedule moving forward but I'm excited to be back competing — with a metal hip."
"But every match feels like progress and I'm learning from each one," he continued.
The Miami Open will get underway at Hard Rock Stadium on March 24 after the tournament was cancelled last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It is exciting to see Andy back in Miami," Miami Open Tournament Director James Blake said.
"As someone who has had to battle back from injuy during his career, I understand and respect all the hard work Andy has put in to get back on tour."
The former world number one underwent hip resurfacing surgery in January 2019 and made a triumphant doubles comeback at Queen's Club in June before capturing a singles title in Antwerp four months later.
However, he has not played since a Davis Cup defeat of Tallon Griekspoor in November and news emerged last week that he may have to have another operation due to heterotopic ossification, which is bone growing outside the normal skeleton.
That issue has not gone away but, for now, the three-time grand slam champion is hoping to return at the Masters Series event in Miami, which starts on March 25.
The 32-year-old told Amazon Prime: "In the short, short term, I'm training to try to get ready for Miami.
"I have done so much rehab these last few months that in terms of my strength, and everything, all the muscles around the hip are working well, it's just I hadn't played tennis.
"I've hit twice since the Davis Cup for 40 minutes so I need some time to build up and feel good on the court again.
"That's my plan just now unless I have a setback or something."
Talking on September 26 about the potential for further surgery, he said: "What I need to do is build up in these next couple of weeks to really test it. Hopefully it responds fine, but if it doesn't then I need to potentially have that [growth] removed.
"I can't have it removed until it is finished growing. I should know by the end of next month whether I'm good to play or not with it.
"If they can't get to it with an arthroscope, I would have to be opened up again. That takes longer to recover.
"It's not like a major operation to have it removed but, if they cannot get there with an arthroscope to remove it, that is the issue."
Surgery could see Murray miss Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics.
The men's tennis tour has scrapped plans to stage four tournaments in China later this year as the pandemic continues to take its toll on the sporting calendar.
Mandatory quarantine rules make it unfeasible for international players and tour officials to travel to the events, including the Shanghai Masters, a top-tier ATP 1000 tournament.
The lucrative Shanghai event had been due to run from October 9-16 and would have featured many of the world's top players.
Also cancelled are the Chengdu Open and the Zhuhai Championships, which were scheduled to begin on September 26, and the China Open, billed for the following week.
The ATP said it had cancelled the three-week China swing "due to ongoing restrictions related to COVID-19".
It marks a third successive year in which the run of tournaments has had to be cancelled, with China last hosting ATP events in 2019, before the pandemic hit.
At the same time as it cancelled the tournaments in China on Thursday, the ATP made provision for its players to keep earning by announcing six new events to take place in September and October.
Those events will be played in San Diego, Seoul, Tel Aviv, Florence, Gijon and Naples, the ATP said, with all at ATP 250 level, the lowest rung of the main tour.
The WTA, which runs the women's tour, announced last December it would be suspending all its tournaments in China due to concerns over the wellbeing of Peng Shuai, a professional tennis player who appeared to allege she had been sexually assaulted by a powerful former government official.
Former doubles world number one Peng has since denied making the accusations, yet the WTA has remained concerned for her safety and freedom.
Australian minister for immigration Alex Hawke revealed last week Djokovic, who has won a record nine titles at Melbourne Park, could only take part in January's tournament if he has received both jabs.
But the 20-time grand slam winner, who has declined to reveal his vaccination status, was given hope of competing after prime minister Scott Morrison said there would be exemptions should the state of Victoria – which includes Melbourne – agree.
However, responding to those comments on Wednesday, Andrews made clear his government would not apply for any sort of dispensation as it would not be fair on the other players and spectators who are fully vaccinated.
"The federal government manages the border and to the extent that anything the federal government says on this is clear, because their position has gone 180 from what the immigration minister said," Andrews said.
"What I'm making equally clear on behalf of every vaccinated Victorian who is doing the right thing... the only fair thing to do is to be very clear with every Victorian, my government will not be applying for an exemption for any unvaccinated player."
Recent reports suggested that over a third of professional players on the ATP Tour remain unvaccinated ahead of the 2022 Australian Open, which runs for two weeks from January 17.
Andrews added: "I'm not going to ask and actually require people sitting in the grandstand, people working at the event, to be vaccinated while players aren't.
"So we're not going to be applying for an exemption, so the issue is basically resolved."
Andrews also stated the same approach will be taken when Formula One returns to Melbourne in April next year.
Speaking last week, world number one Djokovic – who beat Daniil Medvedev earlier this year to win his latest Australian Open crown – told Serbian newspaper Blic: "Things being as they are, I still don't know if I will go to Melbourne.
"I will not reveal my status whether I have been vaccinated or not, it is a private matter and an inappropriate inquiry.
"Of course I want to go, Australia is my most successful grand slam tournament. I want to compete, I love this sport and I am still motivated.
"I am following the situation regarding the Australian Open... I believe there will be a lot of restrictions just like this year, but I doubt there will be too many changes."
World number 23 Bencic returned a positive test, along with Ons Jabeur, after competing at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi.
The pair are the third and fourth players to have tested positive after travelling to the Abu Dhabi event, following 2021 US Open winner Emma Raducanu and 20-time major winner Rafael Nadal.
Bencic wrote on Twitter: "Unfortunately and even though I am fully vaccinated, I recently tested positive for Covid-19.
"I am currently isolating and taking all precautionary [measures] to get through this as best as possible as I am experiencing quite severe symptoms (fever, aches, chills)."
The Mubadala World Tennis Championship typically serves as a warm-up event prior to the Australian Open which is due to begin on January 17 in Melbourne.
World number 10 Jabeur, who defeated Bencic in Abu Dhabi, is experiencing "strong symptoms" and isolating in her native Tunisia.
The Italian progressed to the Wimbledon final in 2021 and started the new season in encouraging fashion as he reached the Australian Open semi-finals, where he was well-beaten by eventual winner Rafael Nadal.
However, the 25-year-old has seemingly struggled from then on, with his next best performance coming in Rio – where he made the last eight – as he limped to a 9-6 record so far in 2022.
Further difficulties followed for Berrettini after he sustained an injury to his right hand late in March, forcing him to withdraw from the Miami Open before undergoing a "minor operation".
Berrettini provided another update on Instagram on Thursday, revealing he would not feature at the Monte-Carlo Masters, scheduled to start later this week, or the Madrid Open and Italian Open at the start of May.
The latter tournament in Rome begins just two weeks before the second grand slam of the year, leading to concerns that Berrettini may not feature at Roland Garros.
"UPDATE – following advice from the medical experts, my team and I have decided that it is crucial I do not put time pressure on my recovery process," he posted.
"We have therefore decided I should withdraw from the Monte-Carlo, Madrid and Rome tournaments to ensure I give myself the proper amount of time to return at my highest level.
"Withdrawing from these events, particularly Rome, was an extremely tough decision, however it is the right one to ensure many more years of competing at the highest level for the biggest trophies.
"Thanks very much for all the support. My recovery process is on track and I look forward to seeing you on-court soon."
The Italian world number eight, making his ATP Tour return since losing the Wimbledon final to Novak Djokovic in July, won 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 7-5.
The Spaniard claimed the first set in a tie-break but Berrettini hit back, sending down 25 aces for the match, winning 84 per cent on his first serve.
"I'm happy for the win. I think I served really well," Berrettini said. "My strokes from the baseline weren't working the way I wanted them to, but I knew from the beginning it's been a long time since I played a match, especially on hard, so I expected to feel a little bit weird."
The match extended to two hours and 20 minutes, with the Italian utilizing his backhand slice in the final set to get the edge.
Berrettini, who has a 33-7 record for the season, will face 12th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime or Karen Khachanov in the third round.
"I'm really happy that I'm going to have the chance to play another match because that's what I need," Berrettini said. "I need to play matches. I need to get in the best shape possible."
Canadian sixth seed Denis Shapovalov suffered a shock early upset, going down to France's Benoit Paire 6-3 4-6 7-5 in the Round of 64.
Former US Open, Wimbledon and Australian Open semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov toppled 13th seed Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3 6-4 in one hour and 21 minutes.
Fellow seed Cristian Garin also bowed out, losing 4-6 6-3 6-4 to qualifier Tommy Paul, while ninth seed Hubert Hurkacz defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-1 6-7 (3-7) 6-1.
Marin Cilic, John Isner, Sebastian Korda, Gael Monfils, Reilly Opelka, Lorenzo Sonego and Frances Tiafoe were the other Tuesday winners.
Isner sent down his 13,000th career ace in his three-set win over Briton Cam Norrie.
Eighth seed Berrettini has enjoyed a superb debut tournament in the Spanish capital, the 25-year-old dropping just one set on his way to becoming the first Italian to make the Madrid Open final.
Berrettini, who won the Serbia Open last month, is just the third Italian ATP Masters 1000 finalist since the series was established in 1990, after Fabio Fognini and Jannik Sinner.
"It's a great, unbelievable feeling, especially coming from Monte Carlo where I wasn't feeling that good," Berrettini said in quotes reported by the ATP website.
"I won in Belgrade and now I'm in the final, so I'm really looking forward to playing against Sascha [Zverev]. I hope I enjoy it tomorrow the way I enjoyed tonight.
"I saw him [Zverev], he's playing really good. He's solid. He moves well. For his height, he's really good. He serves well. I mean, he's in the final. He beat Rafa [Nadal] and Dominic [Thiem], probably the best players on clay.
"It's going to be a challenging match, but I'm in the finals. I guess the best two guys are going to play each other."
Berrettini returned supremely throughout Saturday's match, nullifying Ruud's usually potent serve, and believes his aggressive approach was key to victory.
"My serve is my weapon, but today I think I returned a lot and I put pressure on him," Berrettini said. "I was just playing more aggressive. He's kind of like me, he likes to run around the forehand and play with spin. But I guess today I was playing better than him.
"The other time he beat me, so it's always a great fight against him. He reached three semi-finals in a row so he was feeling confident. I guess that's why I'm maybe even more happy with my win today."
In the earlier semi-final, Zverev followed up his famous win over home favourite and 20-time grand slam champion Rafael Nadal in the previous round by defeating Dominic Thiem.
Austrian Thiem had won the last four meetings between the two, including in last year's Australian Open semi-final and the US Open decider, where he came from two sets down to win in an incredible fifth-set tie-break.
However, Zverev was not to be denied this time, a 6-3 6-4 result keeping him on course for a repeat of his 2018 triumph at the event in the Spanish capital.
Tsitsipas turned 23 on Thursday and marked the occasion with a 6-3 6-2 win over Karen Khachanov.
The Greek star was presented with a cake by tournament officials after his win, as the crowd serenaded him with a chant of 'happy birthday'.
It marks a significant improvement on when Tsitsipas turned 20. On that occasion, he lost the 2018 final of this event to Rafael Nadal.
Next up for Tsitsipas is Casper Ruud, who poked fun at his critics after he eased into the quarter-finals.
Ruud, the world number 12, won three titles on clay courts in July and has now continued that form in the ATP Masters 1000 event.
Playing on a hard court has proved no challenge for the in-form Norwegian, who wrote 'Hard Courts' with a smile underneath on the camera after his 6-4 6-3 victory over Dusan Lajovic on Thursday.
"I have seen a lot of people questioning my ability to play on hard court, so I just thought it was funny to write a little note," Ruud said in a news conference.
"I think it's fun to play on hard courts. Even though I (have achieved) most of my best results on clay, my best slam result is from this year’s Australian Open (where he reached the Round of 16), so I think it's a surface that also can suit my game well even though this year has been mainly clay.
“I think I'm motivated to come back to the hard courts. I have had two very good matches here. It's a great start for me to the hard-court swing."
Ruud, in the hunt for his fifth title of 2021, has won the only previous meeting between the duo.
"[I am] looking forward to that battle," Tsitsipas said. "We have played each other in the past. Not an easy guy to play against. Looking for a change, looking for a switch-up this time."
However, there was no place in the last eight for world number seven - and Olympic gold medallist - Andrey Rublev, who went down 7-5 7-6 (7-5) to American John Isner.
Fresh from a triumph in Atlanta, 36-year-old Isner has looked sharp all week and has now won eight successive matches.
It brings up a third quarter-final appearance for the world number 30 in Canada, and he will play French 11th seed Gael Monfils after he got past lucky loser Francis Tiafoe 6-1 7-6 (7-2). Monfils will be competing in his first ATP Tour quarter-final in 18 months.
Top seed Daniil Medvedev proved too good for Australian qualifier James Duckworth, winning 6-2 6-4 in one hour and eight minutes.
Medvedev was in ominous form on the hard court, sending down 10-1 aces and winning 27 of 32 points on his first serve.
The Russian world number two will play seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz who fought back to win 6-7 (7-9) 6-4 6-4 over Nicolas Basilashvili.
Eighth seed Diego Schwartzman lost in three sets to 10th seed Roberto Bautista Agut after the Spaniard saved three match points.
Bautista Agut will next play Reilly Opelka who came from behind, and also saved a match point, to win over Lloyd Harris in three.
Rublev will now face Alexander Zverev in the decider, having ended Medvedev's bid for a Toronto-Cincinnati double.
Medvedev had never even dropped a set to his fellow Russian in four prior ATP Tour meetings and appeared to be on course for another dominant victory when he took the first set.
But the world number two clattered into a camera early in the second and all momentum was soon lost.
Medvedev complained about the positioning of the camera, claiming it had caused a hand injury and aiming a kick at the lens.
He swiftly called for treatment as his performance started to fall well below his lofty standards, with Rublev finally able to win a set after breaking in an epic 15-minute game.
A series of unforced Medvedev errors allowed Rublev to break again in the decider and seal a stunning 2-6 6-3 6-3 triumph.
Third seed Zverev fought back from a double break down in the final set to progress to the final with a 6-4 3-6 7-6 (7-4) win over second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.
The epic match lasted two hours and 41 minutes, with Zverev responding strongly after appearing unwell to book his spot in the final against Rublev.
Rublev gets his Daniil degree
Asked to reflect on finally toppling Medvedev, Rublev told Amazon: "It's always tough to play against Daniil and to beat him.
"I think it gives me a bit more confidence that I can play against him, I can compete against him. There are still so many things to improve, but it's like I've passed university."
The victory came as a relief, with Rublev believing he was unfortunate even to be trailing in the first set.
"Inside I was thinking, when I was 6-2, the score shouldn't be like this," he said.
"The points were really tight, some little outs, little mistakes, some good shots from Daniil. The score was not real [in] the first set.
"Even the third set, I won 6-3 but the match was so intense. You saw so many rallies, so many long rallies, and it was so tough.
"It was a super mental match, a super physical match, exactly like a chess match."
Zverev's Novak mentality
Tokyo 2020 gold medalist Zverev had trailed 4-1 in the third set against Tsitsipas, but fought back with two breaks before winning in a tie-break.
"After I did the first break back I thought 'OK I have the chances'," Zverev said during his on-court interview. "I felt like he was not serving bombs. I felt like I was always in the rallies but I was losing the rallies because I was a bit low energy, so I started being a bit more aggressive, a bit of the Novak mentality that I had against him at the Olympics as well."
Zverev has a 4-0 record against final opponent Rublev but he was wary of his opponent.
"Favourite or not, I think if you're in the final, there's no easy opponent," he said. "Today he played incredible beating Medvedev."
Unseeded American Tiafoe swept aside the local 6-1 6-4 in one hour and 15 minutes to secure his third-round spot against 11th seed Gael Monfils who beat John Millman 3-6 6-3 6-4.
Tiafoe was only in the Toronto main draw as a lucky loser after being defeated in qualifying by Emil Ruusuvuori but he hit 14 winners in an emphatic display.
World number 10 Shapovalov was unable to generate any break points while Tiafoe reeled off five games in a row, with two breaks, to win the first set.
The Canadian continued to struggle with his serve in windy conditions, as the American world number 52 won 88 per cent (23/26) of points on his first serve.
Another local hope, ninth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, also was eliminated, going down 7-5 6-4 to Serbian Dusan Lajovic.
The Canadian hit six aces to Lajovic's none, but was undone by unforced errors at key times, with a double fault gifting the Serbian a 6-5 lead in the opening set.
Australian 12th seed Alex de Minaur also bowed out after a one-sided 6-1 6-1 defeat to Georgian world number 42 Nicolas Basilashvili.
Basilashvili sent down 6-2 aces and converted five of his six break points generated in an impressive display.
Australian qualifier Jack Duckworth booked a third-round ticket against top seed Daniil Medvedev after upsetting 16th seed Jannik Sinner, who won last week's Citi Open.
Fourth seed Andrey Rublev won through with a 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 victory over Fabio Fognini, while seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz progressed with a walkover after Kei Nishikori retired with a shoulder injury.
Eighth seed Diego Schwartzman beat Benoit Paire 7-5 6-1, while 10th seed Roberto Bautista Agut handled Tommy Paul 6-3 6-4.
John Isner knocked out 13th seed Cristian Garin in three sets, while Lloyd Harris beat Feliciano Lopez in two and Karen Khachanov defeated compatriot Aslan Karatsev 7-6 (9-7) 6-4 to secure a third-round meeting with third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Tsitsipas pledged to help those affected by the fires in his homeland in his post-match press conference on Tuesday.
“My heart is with all the people of Greece,” Tsitsipas said. “I come from the south suburbs of Athens. When I was there a few days ago, I could see the fires from the south. Huge, giant clouds, smoke, which you could see from far, far away. It wasn't very nice. Even at the beach that day when I went to swim, you could see all the debris from the smoke and from the fires in the sea.”
After conquering top seed Daniil Medvedev, former world number three Dimitrov recovered from a set down to upstage eighth seed Hurkacz on Thursday.
Norrie shocked 11th seed Diego Schwartzman in straight sets at the ATP 1000 tournament.
DIMITROV CELEBRATES MILESTONE
Bulgarian star and 23rd seed Dimitrov reached his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final of the season with a 3-6 6-4 7-6 (7-2).
Dimitrov showed he is the comeback king once again, having also saved two break points at 3-3 in the second set.
A semi-finalist at the US Open (2019), Australian Open (2017) and Wimbledon (2014), Dimitrov then squandered a 5-2 lead in the deciding set before eventually prevailing in a tie-break for his 100th Masters 1000 victory.
NORRIE BOOSTS TURIN BID
Norrie's hopes of qualifying for the ATP Finals in Turin received a boost after breezing past Schwartzman 6-0 6-2.
Amid a career-best season, Norrie advanced to his maiden ATP Masters 1000 semi-final, with the 26-year-old to replace Daniel Evans as the new British men's number one.
Seeded 21st, Norrie – who has 45 Tour-level wins in 2021 – now has next month's Finals firmly in sight, having started the day 945 points behind ninth-placed Hurkacz in the race to Turin.
"I have been pretty consistent this year," Norrie said after 74 minutes on court. "I think I am really doing the fundamentals well on serve and return and playing the big points better.
"I have been a little more aggressive and feel I am learning more as I go along and becoming more experienced. We are really happy."
The Serbian makes his first appearance since his US Open final defeat to Daniil Medvedev at the ATP 1000 tournament in the French capital.
That defeat in New York cost Djokovic the chance to become only the third man to win a singles calendar slam by winning all four majors in the same year.
Djokovic also missed the opportunity to move top of the all-time Grand Slam tournament winners list and remains joint-top alongside Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal with 20 titles.
However, the 34-year-old – whose status for the 2021 Australian Open remains unknown – was phlegmatic when he reflected on his loss to Russian world number two Medvedev.
"In a most ideal scenario, I would have won all four of them," Djokovic told a media conference. "Knowing I was so close gives me great encouragement for the future, but it also makes me feel humble about my game, about my career.
"It gives me a kind of reality check where I have to go back to the practice court and really understand what needs to be done so that I could improve.
"This was not an ordinary loss considering the circumstances. I have learned over the years to deal with losses in such way that I treat them as great opportunities for growth.
"I feel that the US Open loss in the final has arrived arguably at the worst or at the best time for me, in a way.
"I'm disappointed that I lost the match, but I feel like I was blessed to experience love from the crowd and support from the stadium that I have never experienced before in my life in New York, and actually not in many places around the world.
"That kind of energy that I received from the crowd from the moment I stepped on the court until I stepped out is a win for life."
Djokovic, who has won four of the last eight Paris Masters tournaments, claimed the prospect of ending the year as the world number one ahead of Medvedev will motivate him.
Should he do so then Djokovic would leapfrog Pete Sampras for the most year-end number one finishes in history with seven.
He will face either Italian Fabio Fognini or Hungarian Marton Fucsovics having received a bye through the first round.
"The year-end number one is on the line between Medvedev and myself, and I'm in a pretty good position," added Djokovic, who has won 85 ATP tour titles.
"That's obviously the goal for the end of the season other than trying to do well in the Davis Cup with the national team. So hopefully I can have a strong finish of the season and clinch that year-end number one.
"I’m pleased to be back. I have been training really well the past couple of weeks. And I have had plenty of success in Paris over the years, so that gives me enough reason to believe that I can do well.
"The lack of match play could be dangerous, so I have to really make sure that I start off my first match very well with a good intensity and build my form."
The world number one is competing in his first tournament since his dream of winning a calendar Grand Slam was ended by Daniil Medvedev in September's US Open final.
After beating Marton Fucsovics in three sets and then benefiting from a walkover against Gael Monfils in the last 16, Djokovic made light work of Fritz in Friday's quarter-final.
He sent down eight aces and was successful with 72 per cent of his first serves that landed on his way to a 6-4 6-3 victory.
However, Djokovic lost his serve on three occasions and, while happy with his overall display, the Serbian feels like there is more to come from his game in the French capital.
"I was absent from the tour for two months coming into this tournament," he said. "The last competitive match I played was in the US Open final, compared to the other guys playing one or two events prior to Paris.
"I knew that I needed to start well, with good intensity and put in a lot of hours on the practice court. But it's different when you play points in a competitive match.
"I am pleased with the way I played against Fucsovics and again today, though I did have ups and downs. I am not entirely pleased with the way I closed out the sets.
"I backed myself up with good returns and read Taylor's serve very well to get into rallies. I closed out the last couple of service games well and that's a positive."
Djokovic is aiming to win the Paris Masters for a record-extending sixth time in his bid to end the year as world number one for a record seventh occasion.
The Serbian will contest his 71st career Masters 1000 semi-final – four short of Rafael Nadal's record – against Hubert Hurkacz, who saw off James Duckworth 6-2 6-7 (4-7) 7-5.
With that victory, the world number 10 clinched the final singles spot at the ATP Finals in Turin later this month.
Hurkacz is the second Polish player to qualify for the event after Wojtek Fibak in 1976. It also means only European players will feature in the ATP and WTA Finals for the first time ever.
Saturday's other semi-final in Paris will be contested between Djokovic's US Open conqueror Medvedev and Olympic gold medallist Alexander Zverev.
Home favourite Hugo Gaston eliminated Pablo Carreno Busta earlier in the tournament but was always likely to face a tougher task against Medvedev.
So it proved, with the qualifier going down 7-6 (9-7) 6-4 in a match that saw Medvedev hit 13 aces to his opponent's one.
"When the atmosphere is against you, you need to face it," Medvedev said. "You need to try to win, no matter what.
"Even when it is against me, I think, 'I will try to beat my opponent and the crowd' because there is no other choice."
Zverev kept his momentum going with a 7-5 6-4 win over Casper Ruud in Friday's final contest, as he made it eight wins on the bounce.
The German held serve throughout, while breaking his opponent twice, to remain on course for a sixth final of 2021.
The world number one advanced to the last eight for a 14th straight year at the tournament with a 7-6 (9-7) 6-3 victory over Krajinovic.
Djokovic had not faced Krajinovic in more than a decade and said it was difficult facing off against one of his closest friends.
"It was one of the longest sets of my career," he said of the first set which lasted an hour and 27 minutes. "It is never easy to play against one of your best friends of so many years.
"We have only played 10 years ago in Serbia and he has changed as a person and as a player. It is rare that we have not played against each other in this decade. We trained several times together and we have played the Davis Cup together; it was good to play against him.
"Janko Tipsarevic [Krajinovic's coach], a Serbian tennis legend, is doing a great job with him. He's in the top 30; I know he's in shape.
"I did not start the game as I wanted. I made many unforced errors, but we must congratulate him for pushing me to the limit."
Djokovic saved five of six break points to seal the win after two hours and seven minutes, setting up a quarter-final clash with Dominik Koepfer.
He attacked Krajinovic's forehand with gusto and delivered a string of drop shots throughout the first set, but that game plan did not come off when holding two set points at 5-4 on his opponent's serve.
Krajinovic then started the tie-break strongly, storming into a 4-1 lead, before Djokovic powered back and took advantage of an error from his opponent to seal the set at the fifth time of asking.
Djokovic wasted little time moving through the gears at the start of the second set, driving forehands down the line to break serve at 1-1. He maintained his advantage to reach 5-3 before breaking serve again to seal the win.
