The Paris Masters saw a series of high-profile departures on Wednesday, Nov. 4, as top-seeded Alexander Zverev, 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, and Russian standout Daniil Medvedev were all eliminated in their opening matches, as reported by Lianhe Zaobao.
Zverev Falls to Musetti in Paris
Alexander Zverev, the 29-year-old German who recently achieved the world No. 1 ranking, exited the tournament following a 7-6 (5), 6-2 loss to Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti, currently ranked 24th in the world. Despite securing his first Grand Slam titles at the French Open and US Open this year, Zverev’s debut as the top seed in Paris proved difficult.
Addressing the pressures associated with his top ranking after the match, Zverev said, “Pressure? I don’t know if it’s pressure. Honestly, I’m a bit annoyed. I feel like I’m the only player in tennis history who has to explain why I deserve to be world No. 1, which is hard for me to accept because I think I deserve my current position, even after losing today.” Zverev led in the first-set tiebreak before committing a series of errors that allowed Musetti to seize control of the match.
Djokovic Season Ends Following Defeat
Novak Djokovic, seeded 10th, saw his hopes for an eighth Paris Masters title and a spot in the ATP Finals vanish after a 6-2, 3-6, 3-6 loss to Australian qualifier Alexei Popyrin. After a dominant first set, the 39-year-old Serbian struggled against the 83rd-ranked Australian, who broke serve in the eighth game of the second set to force a decider. Two service breaks in the third set ultimately secured the victory for the 25-year-old Popyrin. This result marks the conclusion of Djokovic’s season, with the veteran stating his immediate plan is to take time for rest.
Daniil Medvedev and Alex De Minaur Suffer Tournament Upsets
The wave of upsets continued for other tournament favorites. Fourth-seeded Daniil Medvedev, a former world No. 1, was defeated by Peru’s Buse in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4. Meanwhile, eighth-seeded Alex de Minaur lost to Argentina’s Etcheverry, who recorded a 7-6 (2), 6-3 victory.
Alcaraz Advances to Round of 16
The seven-time Grand Slam champion, who won the recent Vienna Open, avoided the early exit he experienced in Paris last year. “For top players, it was a very tough day today, but I try not to think about that, just focusing on playing my best level and enjoying the match,” Alcaraz said after his win.
Tournament Implications for Tiafoe and Fils
Seventh-seeded Frances Tiafoe was also eliminated, falling to France’s Quentin Halys in a three-set match, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7 (9-11). Following this, the sixth-seeded Fils concluded the day’s play with a 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory over Czech qualifier Machac.
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