(Paris) American Taylor Fritz is still in the running for one of the last two passes available for the ATP Finals, after beating Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 7-5, 6- 2 in the first round of the Paris Masters on Monday.
Fritz erased a 2-4 deficit in the first set and won the second after winning the last four games. Davidovich Fokina committed 24 unforced errors, compared to just nine for Fritz, the tournament’s ninth seed.
“It’s been the best season ever,” Fritz said. “No pressure. I just try to get the best possible result. I played well here last year, and I don’t see why I couldn’t do the same this year. »
Fritz has triumphed in Tokyo, Eastbourne and Indian Wells this season. He lost in the quarter-finals to Novak Djokovic, eventual champion of the Paris Masters, last year.
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In the second round, Fritz will battle Frenchman Gilles Simon who won a duel of seasoned thirty-somethings against Briton Andy Murray 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.
Ranked 188e in the world, Simon, who will retire at the end of the year, lived up to his reputation as a tactician capable of forcing his rivals into performing shoddy shots.
Murray has also committed 36 unforced errors compared to 11 from Simon, who participates in the tournament as a guest player of the organizers.
Murray found himself serving with a chance to win the match as he led 6-4, 5-3. However, unforced errors from the Briton allowed Simon to score a major break in serve.
On the last play of the match, Murray sent a backhand outside the sideline and committed three double faults.
Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud, Daniil Medvedev and Djokovic have already qualified for the ATP Finals.
Félix Auger-Aliassime, who has won his last three tournaments, Fritz, Andrey Rublev and Hubert Hurkacz are all fighting for their place in the prestigious end-of-season tournament which brings together eight tennis players.
Matteo Berrettini, the 13e seed, withdrew from the tournament with a left foot injury, and was replaced in the main draw by fellow Italian Fabio Fognini.
Jannik Sinner and Marin Cilic are the only seeds to be ousted on Monday.
Sinner (no 11) lost to Switzerland’s Marc-Andrea Hüsler 6-2, 6-3, while Cilic (no 15) was eliminated by Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-4.
“I was a bit lucky in a few important points”, analyzed Hüsler. “I made the right decisions in crucial moments. »
John Isner, Cameron Norrie, Karen Khachanov, Yoshihito Nishioka and Nikoloz Basilashvili continued on to round two in the French capital.
Isner hailed his comeback after nursing a wrist injury as he beat Oscar Otte 6-4, 7-6 (3). Isner will now have a date with Rublev, the seventh seed.
Nishioka defeated Aslan Karatsev 6-3, 6-4 and will face favorite Alcaraz in the next round.
For his part, Norrie, 12e seeded beat Miomir Kecmanovic 6-2, 6-4, while Khachanov beat Sebastian Baez 6-1, 6-1. Basilashvili meanwhile beat home favorite Quentin Halys 6-3, 6-4.
Richard Gasquet easily defeated Alex Molcan 6-3, 6-1, while Maxime Cressy defeated Diego Schwartzman 6-3, 6-3.
American Frances Tiafoe, ranked 16ealso reached the next round after winning in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 over Lorenzo Sonego.
In addition, the Swedish Mikael Ymer, a player from the qualifications, deserved an appointment with the Montrealer Félix Auger-Aliassime following his victory in three sets of 6-1, 6-7 (2), 6- 4 against Kazakh Alexander Bublik.
Auger-Aliassime will face Ymer on Wednesday in what will be his first match of the tournament. Seeded eighth, Auger-Aliassime benefits from a bye directly to the second round,
In addition, Denis Shapovalov will begin his singles journey on Tuesday against the Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo, in a first round duel.
Shapovalov comes to Paris after losing in three sets in the final of the Vienna tournament on Sunday against Russian Daniil Medvedev.
In the final match of the night, Australian Alex De Minaur defeated American Sebastian Korda 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 and will face Medvedev in the second round.
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