Paris Masters: Zverev falls in second round
The world No. 1 lost to Lorenzo Musetti on Wednesday, while Novak Djokovic faces a qualifier and Arthur Fils secures a spot in Turin.
By Gabriela Ivanov ·
Alexander Zverev lost his first match as the world No. 1 in men’s tennis on Wednesday. He fell to Lorenzo Musetti in the second round of the Paris Masters.
The score was 7-6 (5), 6-2 in favor of the Italian. Zverev reached the top ranking on Monday after winning the French Open and U.S. Open earlier in the year. Despite playing on a fast indoor surface that favors his serve, the German struggled against Musetti’s consistency.
Musetti hit 29 winners while committing only 12 unforced errors. Zverev finished with 25 winners and 21 unforced errors. The Italian closed out the match with an ace.
Novak Djokovic also competed on Wednesday. The 24-time Grand Slam winner played qualifier Rinky Hijikata. Carlos Alcaraz faced American Alex Michelsen, and fourth-seeded Daniil Medvedev took on Ignacio Buse.
Djokovic must reach the semifinals to qualify for the ATP Finals. The season-ending event runs from Nov. 15 to 22 in Turin. Only two spots remain for that tournament. The ATP250 event in Stockholm is the final opportunity for players to earn points after Paris concludes.
In another second-round match, Frances Tiafoe lost to Quentin Halys. Tiafoe, the No. 7 seed, wasted four match points in a 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (9) defeat. This result allowed Arthur Fils to secure a place at the ATP Finals. Fils is the first French player to reach that event since Gael Monfils in 2016.
