Paris Masters
Lorenzo Musetti beat the world No. 1 Alexander Zverev 7-6(5), 6-2 in the second round of the Paris Masters on Wednesday 4 November. It was Zverev’s first match since he became world No. 1 for the first time on 2 November, and it opened a day on which six seeds lost, among them Daniil Medvedev, Novak Djokovic and Alex de Minaur.
How Musetti Turned It Round
Zverev had a first-round bye as the top seed and served well through the first set. He led 5-2 in the tie-break, two points from the set, and then Musetti won five points in a row to take it. Musetti kept that level through the second set, which he won 6-2, and the match was over in an hour and 40 minutes.
It is Musetti’s second win over a world No. 1. His season has been broken up by injuries, most painfully when he retired from his Australian Open quarter-final against Djokovic while two sets up, but the indoor swing has gone his way. He ended a four-year wait for a title in Lyon in October, and this was his eighth win in nine matches. He plays the Frenchman Luca Van Assche in the third round on Thursday.
Zverev’s season goes on. He qualified for Turin in August, leads the Race to Turin on 9,350 points and goes to the ATP Finals (15 to 22 November) as the world No. 1.
A Day of Upsets in Paris
Four of the top eight seeds went out on Wednesday, all of them after first-round byes.
| Winner | Beat | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Lorenzo Musetti | Alexander Zverev (1) | 7-6(5), 6-2 |
| Ignacio Buse | Daniil Medvedev (4) | 6-4, 6-4 |
| Quentin Halys | Frances Tiafoe (7) | 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(9) |
| Tomás Martín Etcheverry | Alex de Minaur (8) | 7-6(2), 6-3 |
| Rinky Hijikata (Q) | Novak Djokovic (10) | 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 |
| Luca Van Assche | Learner Tien (15) | 7-6(4), 6-4 |
| Nuno Borges (LL) | Karen Khachanov | 6-3, 6-4 |
Hijikata, the world No. 83, had lost both of his previous meetings with Djokovic. He lost the first set 6-2, then took over the baseline rallies and saved all three break points he faced in the third. Djokovic, a record seven-time Paris champion, won his 102nd tour-level title in Beijing last month.
Halys saved four match points against Tiafoe and won the deciding tie-break 11-9. Medvedev, who won Almaty and reached the Vienna semi-finals in the fortnight before Paris, lost in straight sets to Buse.
The highest seeds left are Carlos Alcaraz, the No. 2, who beat Alex Michelsen 7-6(4), 6-3, and Ben Shelton, the No. 3.
What It Means for Turin
Halys’s win over Tiafoe also settled the sixth place in Turin: it meant Arthur Fils could no longer be caught, and he qualified for the ATP Finals for the first time. Tiafoe stays eighth in the Race to Turin on 3,390 points, with Sinner out, and qualifies if Tommy Paul or Taylor Fritz loses on Thursday. If both lose, Rafael Jódar takes the last place.
Djokovic and de Minaur are out of contention. De Minaur finishes on 3,170 points, 64 behind Jódar, and Djokovic needed at least a semi-final in Paris.
Thursday’s Third Round
All times are UK time. Paris is one hour ahead.
| Court | Time (UK) | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Court Central | 10:00 | Tommy Paul (12) v Quentin Halys |
| Court Central | Second match | Ben Shelton (3) v Arthur Rinderknech |
| Court Central | Third match | Lorenzo Musetti v Luca Van Assche |
| Court Central | Not before 18:00 | Matteo Berrettini v Carlos Alcaraz (2) |
| Court Central | Not before 19:30 | Arthur Fils (6) v Taylor Fritz (11) |
| Court 1 | Not before 13:00 | Rinky Hijikata (Q) v Tomás Martín Etcheverry |
| Court 1 | Second match | Nuno Borges (LL) v Ignacio Buse |
| Court 1 | Third match | Jan-Lennard Struff v Casper Ruud |
The Paris Masters is live on Sky Sports and NOW in the UK. Full coverage is on our Paris Masters hub, and the live Race to Turin and our ATP Finals hub track who is going to Turin.