Tennis News

Sinner, Alcaraz chasing glory; Turin spots up for grabs: Paris Scouting Report

The Rolex Paris Masters, the season’s final ATP Masters 1000 event, is here. There are plenty of storylines to follow, from Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz chasing maiden glory at the tournament to the intense PIF ATP Live Race To Turin.

ATPTour.com looks at 10 things to watch at Bercy.

1) Who will qualify for Turin? Four singles places remain at the Nitto ATP Finals, with Sinner, Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev already guaranteed a spot at the season finale. Who will join them? Taylor Fritz, who made the semi-finals on his debut in 2022, will try to return to Inalpi Arena. The American is fifth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. Among those competing in Paris are seventh-placed Casper Ruud (3,845 points), Andrey Rublev (3,720) and Alex de Minaur (3,555), who are all jockeying for position.

2) Sinner top seed: The Italian has already clinched ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours. The 23-year-old has won seven tour-level titles this year and will attempt to claim an eighth this week in Paris. He has tallied a 1-2 record in the tournament, including a loss to Alcaraz in his debut in 2021. Sinner will begin his event against Ben Shelton or a qualifier/lucky loser.

3) Alcaraz’s Paris push: Two years ago, Alcaraz earned his best Rolex Paris Masters result, reaching the quarter-finals. Will he advance deeper this edition? The Spaniard, who is the second seed, will play Nicolas Jarry or a qualifier/lucky loser in his opening match. Alcaraz has won four titles this year, most recently claiming the crown in Beijing.

4) Fils & Humbert flying for France: #NextGenATP star Arthur Fils and Ugo Humbert, who are good friends, recently played in an all-French Tokyo final, which Fils won. Will one of the home favourites make a big run on home soil at Bercy? Fils, who played his first ATP Tour main draw at this event two years ago, will take on former World No. 3 Marin Cilic in the first round. Humbert, who will try to use his big lefty serve to his advantage indoors, is the 15th seed and will play Brandon Nakashima.

Watch Tokyo Final Highlights:

5) Former champs Medvedev, Rune & Khachanov: Medvedev (2020), Holger Rune (2022) and Karen Khachanov (2018) are the former Rolex Paris Masters champions in the field. Fourth seed Medvedev will face a tricky opener against former Top 10 star Matteo Berrettini or Montreal champion Alexei Popyrin. Thirteenth seed Rune opens against Matteo Arnaldi and Khachanov, fresh off his run to the Vienna final, will play Pablo Carreno Busta. Khachanov leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head series 6-3.

6) French wild cards: The wild cards in the singles draw are Richard Gasquet, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, Adrian Mannarino and Arthur Rinderknech. Gasquet will compete at the Rolex Paris Masters for the final time ahead of his retirement at 2025 Roland Garros. The former No. 7 in the PIF ATP Rankings has competed in the event 16 times. Mpetshi Perricard’s rise has been one of the stories of 2024, with his huge serve stymying all styles of opponent.

7) Draper surging: One year ago, Jack Draper was No. 91 in the PIF ATP Rankings, forcing him to compete at an ATP Challenger Tour event instead of in Paris. Now he arrives at the season’s final Masters 1000 event as No. 15 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings and fresh off an ATP 500 victory in Vienna. The lefty plays Jiri Lehecka in the first round.

8) Zverev seeks another title: Zverev has already won one Masters 1000 title this season in Rome. A six-time Masters 1000 titlist overall, the German will try to add a Paris trophy to his resume. The third seed made the final at Bercy in 2020. He faces Luciano Darderi or Tallon Griekspoor in his opening match.

9) Doubles spots for Turin up for grabs: Four doubles teams have qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals: Marcel Granollers/Horacio Zeballos, Marcelo Arevalo/Mate Pavic, Simone Bolelli/Andrea Vavassori and Max Purcell/Jordan Thompson. Who will join them in Turin? Two 2024 Grand Slam champions, Rohan Bopanna/Matthew Ebden and Harri Heliovaara/Henry Patten are in good position. Wesley Koolhof/Nikola Mektic are fifth in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings and Kevin Krawietz/Tim Puetz are seventh.

10) Granollers/Zeballos top seeds, singles stars playing doubles: Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos are the top seeds in the doubles draw and Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic are the second seeds. There will be plenty of singles stars to watch in doubles, too. Fritz is competing with Ben Shelton, Ruud is playing alongside Tomas Machac and Fils with Mpetshi Perricard among others.

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Draper shows class and fight to win biggest title yet

British number one Jack Draper wins the biggest title of his career at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna.

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Draper withstands Khachanov in dramatic Vienna final

It was a sigh of relief for Jack Draper on Sunday after he withstood a late charge from Karen Khachanov to clinch the Erste Bank Open title. 

The Briton stood firm in a 6-4, 7-5 triumph to secure his second ATP Tour title. Trailing 0-4 in the second set, Khachanov rattled off five consecutive games to shift the momentum firmly in his favour. However, Draper dialled back in to win the biggest title of his career.

“I was playing so good, and then the momentum shifted,” said Draper, who improved to 37-21 on the season. “Honestly, I didn’t feel too nervous or tight, I just missed a few balls and made some wrong decisions, and Karen picked up his level. That’s a testament to how good he is, he’s a fighter and he’s in great form.

“It got really tight there, but I stayed solid and in a good mental frame. Luckily I was able to come through, it was a relief. To win my first ATP 500, it feels incredible. I am incredibly happy and so proud of myself and my team. It’s for moments like this, so I am going to enjoy it.”

Nothing short of sensational ⚡️

Magnificent @jackdraper0 dazzles his way to the title in Vienna! #ErsteBankOpen | @ErsteBankOpen pic.twitter.com/mZaDFj2Hyt

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 27, 2024

With his one-hour 35-minute triumph, Draper became the first player to win the tournament on his debut since countryman Andy Murray did so in 2014. In a stellar season, the 22-year-old will rise to a new career-high of No. 15 in the PIF ATP Rankings on Monday.

Prior to Sunday’s championship match, Khachanov held a perfect 4-0 record in indoor tour-level finals. The 28-year-old was also on an eight-match winning streak after lifting his seventh ATP Tour title last week in Almaty, but was unable to force a deciding set. 

“I want to congratulate Jack and his team for this win, you deserved that,” said Khachanov. “You went for it the whole week. You are rising up this season and I wish you all the success in the future. I’m looking forward to sharing the court again and taking revenge for this loss.

“Once you’re in the final, you’re thinking about winning it. But I can’t complain, the last two weeks have been great. Coming from winning last week and playing the final here in Vienna for the first time, I just want to thank my team.

“I was close to coming back, and that just shows you need to stay there, be positive and fight hard. [We have] a great example here of doing that in Thomas [Muster].”

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Your champion @jackdraper0 @ErsteBankOpen #TennisInsights | @atptour | @ErsteBankOpen pic.twitter.com/PvKyYAQLN7

— Tennis Insights (@tennis_insights) October 27, 2024

Having levelled the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series at 2-2, Draper became just the fourth British man to win an ATP 500 title. 

Draper was imperious on serve throughout the first set, during which he won 95 per cent (18/19) of points behind his first delivery, according to Infosys ATP Stats. In a pendulum-swinging second set, Khachanov ignited some of his most scintillating tennis, but it was Draper who held his nerve to cross the line.

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Berrettini splits with coach Francisco Roig

Matteo Berrettini announced on Saturday that he has split with coach Francisco Roig, a former member of Rafael Nadal’s team.

“I wanted to let you know that Francisco Roig and I have decided to end our professional relationship,” Berrettini wrote to his fans on his Instagram Story. “I can only thank him for all the work he’s done this year; his dedication, and the results we’ve achieved together.

“It was a professional experience that allowed me to grow immensely, both on and off the court. I wish him all the best for the future and send him my heartfelt good luck. Thank you.”

The pair began working together for the 2024 season after Berrettini split with longtime coach Vincenzo Santopadre one year ago.

The Italian has won three ATP Tour titles this season, triumphing in Marrakech, Gstaad and Kitzbuhel. He will compete this week at the Rolex Paris Masters.

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Mpetshi Perricard's sizzling ace match average leaves rivals in dust

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard is the new ace king of the ATP Tour.

Leveraging his 6’8” frame, the 21-year-old Frenchman has used his serve to devastating effect in 2024, serving on average five aces more per match than any other player.

‘Gio’ has fired 87 aces across four matches this week en route to the Swiss Indoors Basel final, topping even his jaw-dropping season average of 17.8 aces a match, which is a significantly higher mark than any other player on tour according to Infosys ATP Match Stats.

Coming into Basel, Mpetshi Perricard had served 375 aces across 21 matches. That mark was five aces more per match than Hubert Hurkacz, who has the next best 2024 match average of 12.8. (The Pole has served more total aces than any player this season, with 730 untouched serves in 57 matches.)

His booming deliveries have proven to be a key to his rise. After starting the 2024 season outside the Top 200, the young star is up to a career-high No. 37 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, after reaching the final of the ATP 500 this week. Mpetshi Perricard also claimed his maiden tour-level title in Lyon in May.

Most Aces Per Match in 2024

Numbers do not include play at this week’s ATP 500s in Basel and Vienna

When including this week’s serving exploits in Basel, ‘Gio’ has fired 462 aces in 25 matches this year at an average of 18.5 aces per match.

For year-to-date averages ahead of this week’s ATP 500s in Basel and Vienna, Alexander Bublik is third on the list with an average of 11.2 aces in 46 matches this season. Mpetshi Perricard’s countryman Arthur Rinderknech is fourth, averaging 10.2 aces per match. German veteran Jan-Lennard Struff, who is closing in on 4000 career aces, holds an average of 9.9 aces per match in 42 contests this season.

Mpetshi Perricard served 17 aces in his 7-6(6), 6-4 upset of Holger Rune Saturday to advance to the Basel final, where he will play another one of the game’s biggest servers, Ben Shelton. The Frenchman won the lone Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting between the pair in June at Queen’s, when he out-aced the American 16 to 9.

Soon after at Wimbledon, Mpetshi Perricard fired 51 aces in a five-set win over Sebastian Korda.

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Auger-Aliassime withdraws from Paris due to back injury

Felix Auger-Aliassime announced on Saturday his withdrawal from the Rolex Paris Masters due to a back injury.

“I tried to give myself every last opportunity to be fit to play in Paris but unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be this year ❤️‍🩹🇫🇷,” Auger-Aliassime wrote on Instagram. “After experiencing some pain in my back during Basel, I did some testing and attempts to practice before concluding that I wouldn’t be ready to compete in Paris at the level I’d hope for.

“That being said, it’s a bittersweet ending to the season and I’m going to do everything in my power to recoup mentally and physically for a strong start in 2025 💪🏽 We keep going 😌”

Auger-Aliassime was drawn to play Ben Shelton in the first round, with the winner to take on No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings Jannik Sinner in the second round. The Canadian is No. 27 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

Auger-Aliassime closed his post with a message to his fans: “Thank you as always for all of your kind words and support 🙏🏽”

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Purcell/Thompson qualify for Nitto ATP Finals

Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson are the fourth doubles team to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. They join Marcelo Arevalo/Mate Pavic, Marcel Granollers/Horacio Zeballos and Simone Bolelli/Andrea Vavassori in the field.

The Australians have enjoyed a standout season, including a run to their first major title together at the US Open, where they lost just one set en route to the trophy. In New York, Purcell and Thompson became the first men from their country to win the US Open doubles crown since Todd Woodbridge triumphed with Swede Jonas Bjorkman in 2003.

The victory came on the back of heartbreak. Purcell and Thompson made the Wimbledon final, in which they earned three championship points before falling short to Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten.

The qualifiers have also claimed trophies in Dallas, Los Cabos and Houston this season. Although it did not contribute to his qualification with Purcell, Thompson won the Madrid ATP Masters 1000 title with Sebastian Korda.

Purcell, 26, was an alternate at the Nitto ATP Finals in 2022 with Matthew Ebden. Thompson, 30, will be at the season finale for the first time.

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Mpetshi Perricard serves past Rune in Basel, continuing SF success for young stars

Youth was served on Saturday at the Swiss Indoors Basel. Specifically, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard served 17 aces as he continued his breakout season with a 7-6(6), 6-4 upset of Holger Rune. 

The Frenchman beat his fellow 21-year-old to improve to 4-1 against Top 20 players in the PIF ATP Rankings and advance to his biggest career final at the ATP 500. He will next meet 22-year-old Ben Shelton, after the American defeated 20-year-old Arthur Fils.

“It’s amazing to be in the final. I played a good match today. It was difficult against Holger, but I found the key to win this match,” said Mpetshi Perricard. “Inside of me there was a lot of emotion, but I tried to calm it down. It’s nice to be in the final and I hope to get the win.”

After beginning the season outside the Top 200, the Frenchman is up to No. 37 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings this week, setting him up for a career high. He entered the week at No. 50 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

PIF ATP Rankings: Biggest Movers Into The Top 50 (2024)

The youthful last four in Basel marked the first time an ATP Tour event featured four semi-finalists born in the 2000s. It is also the second semi-final lineup with four players younger than 23, with the previous instance six years ago in Washington courtesy of Alex de Minaur, Andrey Rublev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev.

Saturday’s youth movement also extended to Vienna, where Jack Draper beat Lorenzo Musetti in a matchup of 22-year-olds.

This guy is going places 🌪️@MpetshiG‘s magical run in Basel just got even better as the young French star reaches his FIRST 500-level final!#SwissIndoorsBasel pic.twitter.com/YmNK8yqyx0

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 26, 2024

In the Basel semi-finals, Mpetshi Perricard never faced a break point and won 87 per cent (33/38) of his first-serve points, according to Infosys ATP Stats. After an opening set without a break chance for either man, the first 13 points of the tie-break went to the server. Mpetshi Perricard saved a set point at 5/6 before snatching the tie-break with its first mini-break.

The Frenchman capitalised on a a loose Rune service game to break at the start of set two and showed no signs of tension as he cruised through his next five service games to seal the victory. Now with 87 aces in his four Basel wins, Mpetshi Perricard has not lost a service game game in the tournament. He’s also won four of his five tie-breaks on the week, including a third-set tie-break against Denis Shapovalov in the quarters.

After winning his first Lexus ATP Head2Head matchup against Rune, Mpetshi Perricard will bid to improve to 2-0 against Shelton in the final.

“It’s always 50/50 when you step on the court. Yeah, I won [against him], but one time and it was on grass,” the Frenchman said, referencing his Queen’s Club win earlier this year. “Now it’s a different match. We are in the final, it’s going to be tough.

“There is a lot of emotion because both of us want to get the title. I will try my best, he will try his best, but at the end there is only one winner. It’s going to be fun.”

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Draper fends off Musetti in Vienna SFs to secure ATP 500, Top 15 breakthroughs

Even with the 2024 season into its final weeks, Jack Draper continues to break new ground.

The Briton held his nerve to edge Lorenzo Musetti 6-2, 6-4 on Saturday afternoon and reach the championship match at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna. In doing so, he advanced to his maiden ATP 500 final and simultaneously ensured he will on Monday rise into the Top 15 of the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time.

Draper battled through a topsy-turvy second set, in which he let slip a 4-2 lead and had to withstand a clear rise in Musetti’s level, before completing a one-hour, 49-minute victory.

“I thought the first set was a really high level from my side,” said Draper. “Definitely Lorenzo is a really tough competitor. I’ve known him since I was really young and playing against him is always so difficult. He’s had an incredible season.
“The second set was really up and down. There were some long points and definitely some nerves and difficult moments, but I’m really proud of the way I kept on fighting and kept on going. In the end I got it done.”

The 22-year-old Draper was one of three players that age or younger to advance to an ATP 500 final on Saturday: In Basel, where all four semi-finalists were under 23, the 22-year-old Ben Shelton beat 20-year old Arthur Fils before Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard beat fellow 21-year-old Holger Rune.

🎶 Super super Jack, super JACK DRAPER 🎶

Lights-out tennis from @jackdraper0 sees the talented Brit reach his first ATP 500 final!#ErsteBankOpen | @ErsteBankOpen pic.twitter.com/YjLC4MjSJP

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 26, 2024

Draper converted five of 10 break points he earned to down Musetti, according to Infosys ATP Stats. Even when he was pegged back by the Italian when serving at 4-2 in the second set, he kept his cool to deliver an emphatic response by breaking in the very next game.

After extending his Lexus ATP Head2Head lead against Musetti to 3-0, Draper secured his spot in the biggest title match of his career. The 22-year-old has reached three ATP 250 finals in the past 12 months: in Sofia at the end of 2023 (l. to Mannarino), and in Adelaide (l. to Lehecka) and Stuttgart (d. Berrettini) earlier this year.

“It’s my biggest final yet. I’ve been in 250 finals,” said Draper, who also reached his first major semi-final at September’s US Open. “I’d say a Grand Slam semi-final is probably a bigger match, but at the same time to be in the final at a 500 after all the work I’ve put in this year and the season I’ve had, I’m incredibly grateful and really happy to be in this situation. Roll on tomorrow.”

Draper will take on Karen Khachanov for the trophy in Vienna knowing he has also guaranteed he will rise three spots to a career-high No. 15 in this coming Monday’s edition of the PIF ATP Rankings.

Khachanov upset second seed Alex de Minaur 6-2, 6-4 to continue his bid for back-to-back titles after his Almaty triumph last week. Now on an eight-match winning streak on indoor hard courts, he is into his first ATP 500 final and his biggest tour-level final since the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

In his second Top 10 win of the season (d. Medvedev in Monte-Carlo), Khachanov cruised to a 6-2, 5-2 lead without facing a break point. De Minaur managed to close to 5-4, but he could not stop the 28-year-old from serving out the match on his second opportunity.

Into his 10th tour-level final (7-2), Khachanov will bid to add to his Doha and Almaty titles this year. If he can improve upon his 2-1 Lexus ATP Head2Head record against Draper, he will match his three-trophy haul from 2018, a personal best.

De Minaur’s defeat is a blow in the Aussie’s bid to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time. He could have moved into seventh place in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin with the Vienna title, but instead will enter the Rolex Paris Masters in ninth, 165 points behind Andrey Rublev for the all-important eighth spot.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

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Draper reaches Vienna final in straight sets

British number one Jack Draper reaches the Erste Bank Open final by beating Italian Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets in Vienna.

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