Alexander Zverev easily defeated Tallon Griekspoor -6(2), 6-3 at the start of his Paris Masters campaign.
Third seed Zverev was in excellent form, hitting 19 winners, committing only nine unforced errors, and completing 86% of his first serves. After winning the match, the athlete declared: “One of the fastest courts I’ve ever played on. I had to find my rhythm in the beginning but was happy to come through in the end.”
Meanwhile, Daniil Medvedev, the fourth seed from Russia, lost to Alexei Popyrin 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(4).
Australia’s Popyrin survived a second-set breakdown to secure a spot in the next round, while former US Open winner Medvedev was unable to advance. Medvedev pulled out in a controversy at the same event last season after making an offensive gesture to the fans.
American athletes Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton were also eliminated from the tournament. Fifth seed Fritz was defeated 7-6(6), 4-6, 6-4 by Jack Draper of Britain in a close match, while Shelton was defeated 6-3, 7-6(4) by Arthur Cazaux, the Frenchman who entered the event after top player Jannik Sinner withdrew due to a virus.
In the Paris Masters final match, third seed Alexander Zverev defeated home favorite Ugo Humbert 6-2, 6-2. With this win, he reclaimed his spot as number two in the global rankings.
Zverev said: “That was a performance to match the occasion… It was pretty good I have to say. I knew I had to play like this to win. Ugo is an incredible player. Plus him playing in Paris, I think he played even better than he usually does.”
He added: “I want to thank my team. The work we’ve done over the past two and a half years to be back in this position, everyone had to sacrifice so much. To be able to play on these beautiful courts again.”
With several mistakes from Humbert, the Roland Garros runner-up took the first set. Zverev then showed exceptional play in the second set.
“To win the title here in Paris means the world to me but I’m sure it also means the world to everybody sitting in my box. They’ve done so much to help me lift this title,” Zverev said.
In a social media post, the athlete stated: “Paris, our love story finally has a happy ending ❤️🔥🏆”
Two-time ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev defeated four-time major champion Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(5) 6-4 to advance to the season-ending championship’s semi-finals, putting the Spaniard in danger of elimination.
Zverev entered the tournament as the group leader after defeating Norwegian sixth seed Casper Ruud and eighth-seeded Russian Andrey Rublev. However, he needed to defeat Alcaraz by at least one set in order to advance to the semi-finals.
With his win, he ensured a first-place finish in the John Newcombe Group and will now play against the U.S. Open finalist Taylor Fritz. Zverev’s victory against Alcaraz was all the more gratifying after he lost the French Open final against the Spaniard in June,
Zverev said: “He (Alcaraz) beat me too many times this year in important matches, so I’m happy that I got this one… Obviously I feel like we have a pretty good rivalry with a great friendship as well, so it’s always nice to play against him… Just sharing the court with him. He’s a great guy and I’m looking forward to the next matches with him as well”
He added: “It’s been three fantastic matches. I’m happy with being 3-0 in the group for sure, but I think now the semi-final is going to be very difficult. (Taylor) beat me the past few times at the slams, so I’m looking forward to that match.”
Third seed Alcaraz could still advance to the semi-finals based on his percentage of victories only if Rublev defeats Ruud in straight sets later on.
Carlos Alcaraz, the world’s second-ranked tennis player, appears to be in a downward spiral ever since he won the Wimbledon title with a stunning 1-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, victory over Novak Djokovic. The Spaniard, who is only 20 years old, has not won a tournament in several months.
Then came his most catastrophic setback of all time: Alcaraz lost in the first round of the Paris Masters, much to the surprise of many fans.
Alcaraz vs. Safiullin
Alcaraz’s entry in the Paris Masters was highly anticipated, as it was supposed to be his resurgence following his withdrawal from the ATP Swiss Indoors Basel due to his left foot sole’s inflammation and gluteal muscle difficulties.
And, just a few days before the event, Alcaraz was also seen in an intense practice session with his arch-rival Djokovic, adding to the excitement and hope that the two would reprise their dramatic Wimbledon encounter.
The best points and shots from today’s special practice session between Alcaraz and Djokovic 💥 pic.twitter.com/1WGEkwZEbS
But unfortunately, all that hype came to an end after Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin, a player who’s ranked 43 places lower than him, defeated the Spaniard 6-3,6-4.
An article from CNN wrote that the setback was difficult for him because he had high expectations for himself this time.
“It’s even more difficult, above all for me, to lose in the first rounds of a tournament that you expect to make the finals or where you expect a lot of yourself, it hurts. It hurts a lot,” Alcaraz said.
In addition, he also said that after his defeat, he needs to make many improvements in his game.
Via The Tennis Letter: “Right now I’m not in the right time to talk. Honestly after the loss, I have to take some time, you know, before thinking about the next days & what I have to do or what I’m gonna do.. But obviously before the ATP Finals begin, we have time. I just didn’t feel well on the court. A lot of things to improve, a lot of things to practice. I didn’t feel well in the game. I didn’t move well. In the shots, I think I had a good quality of shots. But, you know, physically in the part of movement, I have to improve a lot.”
Alcaraz congratulates opponent
Despite his defeat, Alcaraz greeted Safiullin in the center of the court, shook hands, and even had a conversation with him, during which he was spotted smiling.
In an X post, Alcaraz also congratulated his foe for winning the match, writing, “Congratulations on the victory Roman! 🤝🏻 I am saying goodbye to Paris much sooner than I wanted 🥲 Now it is time to prepare my game for the ATP Finals in Turin!”
Congratulations on the victory Roman! 🤝🏻 I am saying goodbye to Paris much sooner than I wanted 🥲 Now it is time to prepare my game for the ATP Finals in Turin!
Alex De Minaur’s stellar start of the 2024 season continues as he became Australia’s top-ranked player with 19 out of 20 wins in his singles matches. He is now advancing to the Miami Open round-of-16 showdown where he will face Hungarian hitman Fabian Marozsan.
Despite the windy weather, De Minaur defeated Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany with a score of 7-6 (7-3) 6-4, needing just one break point despite making only 48 percent of his first serves.
He is still one victory ahead of two other players in the top 10 this year, Jannik Sinner and Casper Ruud.
De Minaur – keep my head
De Minaur won in one hour and forty-nine minutes, finishing the match with composure and serving through five deuces to gain a 5-3 lead in the second set. “I just tried to keep my head and keep composure. I was able to get a little bit lucky in big points today,” De Minaur admitted.
He is now preparing to battle Marozsan, who defeated Alexei Popyrin of Australia in straight sets 7-5 6-3. “He’s a hell of a player, he’s playing great and he’s super-dangerous,” De Minaur acknowledged.
He turned professional in 2015 and has since achieved notable success on the ATP Tour. De Minaur has won several ATP singles titles and has represented Australia in various international competitions, including the Davis Cup.
The Spanish third seed Carlos Alcaraz defeated the Greek ninth Stefanos Tsitsipas with ease, paving the way for an exciting semi-final match at the French Open against the new world number one, Jannik Sinner.
Last year, Alcaraz, the reigning Wimbledon champion, showed great play to defeat Tsitsipas with a record of 6-2 6-1 7-6(5) and secure a place in the last four at Roland Garros for the first time in his professional career. With this recent win, Alcaraz has defeated Tsitsipas in the quarter-finals of the Paris major for the second year in a row.
Highlights of the game
Alcaraz got off to a quick start in the match, breaking a visibly concerned Tsitsipas. Even while Tsitsipas appeared more focused as the match progressed, he was still unable to get to Alcaraz, and after a poor service game at 5-3, the first set was won in just 31 minutes.
With a terrible opening to the second set, things were not in favour of the Greek player. Tsitsipas lost concentration and began grumbling angrily at his box. He soon went behind 3-0 but came back to force a tie-break.
In a close third set, Tsitsipas committed his second double fault of the match, giving Alcaraz a 4-3 lead. Alcaraz raised his game once more to take a two-set lead.
“It was a very good match, I played great. I controlled my emotions and I was really calm in the moments I had to be,” Alcaraz said.
The Spaniard is now set to play against Jannik Sinner, who moved up in the world rankings as Novak Djokovic withdrew from the competition due to a knee injury. Sinner became the first Italian to lead the men’s rankings since the Association of Tennis Professionals introduced the computer rankings in 1973.
“It’s every player’s dream to become number one in the world… seeing Novak retiring [from the tournament] is disappointing, so I wish him a speedy recovery,” Sinner remarked.
