In a surprising turn of events at the Rolex Paris Masters, both Lorenzo Musetti and Casper Ruud were eliminated in the Round of 32 on Wednesday. Musetti, seeded No. 7, faced fellow Italian Lorenzo Sonego, who rallied to secure a 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory. Meanwhile, No. 8 seed Ruud, hailing from Norway, fell to Germany’s Daniel Altmaier with a score of 6-3, 7-5.
Sonego’s performance was marked by his ability to capitalize on break-point opportunities, converting 4 of 5 chances while successfully saving 3 of 4 break points he faced against Musetti. Altmaier impressed with his serve, delivering 10 aces and saving 4 of the 5 break points that came his way.
This round marked a challenging tournament for the seeded players, as both Musetti and Ruud joined No. 1 seed Carlos Alcaraz on the sidelines. Alcaraz was upset by Great Britain’s Cameron Norrie on Tuesday, paving the way for Italian No. 2 Jannik Sinner to reclaim the world No. 1 ranking. If Sinner wins the tournament, he will officially take over that top spot. He began his campaign with a strong performance, defeating Belgium’s Zizou Bergs 6-4, 6-2.
Sinner and Zverev Advance with Strong Performances
Sinner demonstrated excellent form, winning 24 of 31 first-service points, translating to a successful 77.4% service rate despite not recording an ace. Reflecting on his match, Sinner shared, “It’s a very unique court here. Usually, I always struggled a bit, so I’m very happy to come through the first match. I’m very happy about today’s performance.”
No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev also faced challenges but managed to edge past Argentina’s Camilo Ugo Carabelli with a final score of 6-7 (5), 6-1, 7-5. After losing the first set, Zverev rallied in the final set, breaking Carabelli’s serve after trailing 40-15. Though Carabelli won an impressive 80.7% of his first-service points, Zverev outperformed him with 36 winners compared to Carabelli’s 18.
Zverev acknowledged the need to prepare better for upcoming matches, admitting that he underestimated Carabelli’s level of play. “That’s a mistake from me. I have to prepare better for my opponents, but he was fantastic today,” he noted.
Other Matches and Withdrawals
In additional matches, No. 6 seed Alex de Minaur of Australia triumphed over Canadian Gabriel Diallo with a score of 7-6 (8), 4-6, 6-3. No. 9 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime endured a grueling three-hour match to defeat France’s Alexandre Muller 5-7, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4).
Other notable winners included No. 10 seed Karen Khachanov from Russia, No. 13 seed Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan, No. 15 seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina from Spain, Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina, and Valentin Vacherot from Monaco.
Notably, No. 11 seed Daniil Medvedev advanced via walkover after Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov withdrew due to a shoulder injury. This marks Dimitrov’s first competitive absence since a pectoral injury sidelined him during Wimbledon.
As the tournament progresses, the competition is heating up, with several top seeds eliminated and others vying for crucial ranking points. The path to the title at the ATP Masters 1000 event remains wide open as players look to capitalize on their opportunities.
