Paris: Alexei Popyrin upset fourth-seeded Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (4) in the second round of the Paris Masters on Wednesday in a tense match with many ups and downs. The 25-year-old Australian player had lost his three previous matches against his Russian rival. Popyrin and Medvedev combined for a total of 86 unforced errors under the roof of the Palais Omnisports.
Medvedev trailed 4-1 in the deciding set but broke back to force a tiebreaker in which Popyrin played more aggressively.
Medvedev double-faulted to give Popyrin a match point and the Australian converted it at the net.
French wild card Arthur Rinderknech also progressed to the third round with a 7-6 (6), 7-6 (7) win over Alex Michelsen.
In Round of 32 matches on Wednesday, Ugo Humbert beat Marcos Giron 6-3, 6-2, Arthur Fils beat Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-4, Adrian Mannarino beat Zizou Bergs 3-6, 6-2, 6-4, Grigor Dimitrov beat Tomás Martín Etcheverry 6-7, 6-3, 7-5, Jordan Thompson beat 7th seed Casper Ruud 7-6, 3-6, 6-4, Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Alejandro Tabilo 6-3, 6-4, Holger Rune beat Alexander Bublik 6-4, 6-2.
Carlos Alcaraz kickstarted his campaign at the Paris Masters with a convincing 7-5, 6-1 win over Nicolas Jarry and moved into the third round on Tuesday night.
Alcaraz, who fell to the Chilean in the Buenos Aires semi-final in February, showcased his class on return to convert 80 per cent (4/5) of break points, according to ATP Stats.
As the Spaniard continues his quest to win five or more ATP Tour titles for a third consecutive season, he will face home hope Ugo Humbert for a spot in the quarter-finals.
Alcaraz wasted little time in taking the lead, rattling off five consecutive points from 0/40 to break Jarry’s serve in the second game. The 21-year-old was pulled back when serving out the set at 5-4, but dialed back in to seal the opener, ATP Tour reports.
Jarry applied pressure on return throughout the second set, during which he carved out four break opportunities, according to Infosys ATP Stats. However, Alcaraz showed resilience to stand firm and surge to a one-hour, 30-minute victory.
“I think I played really good tennis in the first set but at the end it was complicated. I’m just really happy to get through the opening set, it was really important for me to come into the second with more confidence. I need time to get used to the speed of the court. It’s been two years since I have won a match here in Paris-Bercy, so everytime that I keep going is a gift for me,” said Alcaraz. Agencies
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