Paris Masters starts at Bercy despite France lockdown

PARIS: The Paris Masters got underway at a near-empty Bercy Arena on Monday amid France's second coronavirus lockdown, with former champion Karen Khachanov being knocked out in the first round.

Russian Khachanov was beaten 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 by Spanish qualifier Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Croatian Marin Cilic, the 2014 US Open champion, claimed an impressive win over Canadian youngster Felix Auger-Aliassime, edging through to the second round 6-0, 3-6, 6-3.

Spanish veteran Feliciano Lopez set up a second-round clash with top seed Rafael Nadal -- back in Paris just weeks after lifting a record-extending 13th French Open title -- by beating Serbian Filip Krajinovic 7-6 (13/11), 6-1.

On Tuesday, 9th seed Pablo Busta beat home wildcard Hugo Gaston 6-3, 6-2, 10th seed Milos Raonic beat Aljaz Bedene 6-3, 6-2, 12th seed Stan Wawrinka beat Dan Evans 6-3, 7-6, Richard Gasquet beat Taylor Fritz 6-0, 3-6, 6-3 while Alejandro Fokina stunned 11th seed Karen Khachanov 6-3, 2-6, 6-2.

Tournament organisers had expected to welcome 1,000 fans a day to the event, but instead had to refund the tickets when French President Emmanuel Macron announced France would reenter lockdown last week. Agencies

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