Rune without trembling
The reigning champion had no doubts. Winner of the Rolex Paris Masters last year, Holger Rune made a strong entrance by easily defeating Dominic Thiem (6-4, 6-2) on Wednesday in the second round of the Paris Masters 1000. Imperious on his serve (no breaks conceded) and fairly accurate (28 winners to 5 unforced errors), the Dane quickly got the measure of the Austrian, who couldn’t find a tactical solution to turn the tide. In the round of 16, Rune will face Daniel Altmaier, who received a second-round bye due to Taylor Fritz’s withdrawal.
Sinner, a very late first
The anomaly has been erased. Never before in his young career had Jannik Sinner tasted success at the Accor Arena. The Italian remedied that on Wednesday evening. Or rather, Thursday morning. Starting at 12:30 am, the match between the two men ended at 2:37 am. It could have been a nightmare for the recent winner of the Vienna tournament, as he lost the first set in a tie-break. But he then got himself back on track and seized the opportunities to distance the American, winning in three sets (6-7, 7-5, 6-1).
Ruud still struggling
He continues to quietly go through tournaments, without shining and therefore without lingering. After a difficult Asian tour and a brief appearance in Basel (eliminated by Dominic Stricker in the round of 16), Casper Ruud was knocked out in the second round in Paris-Bercy. Clumsy and uninspired, the Norwegian was dominated by a more assertive Francisco Cerundolo (7-5, 6-4). The Argentine, who defeated Gaël Monfils in the previous round, will face Hubert Hurkacz in the round of 16.
Tsitsipas, a 298th win with character
It was a duel between players who had a disappointing 2023 season, but who had shown a slightly more convincing performance in recent weeks. It turned in favor of Stefanos Tsitsipas, who defeated Félix Auger-Aliassime in straight sets (6-3, 7-6). Solid in the first set, which he slightly dominated and logically won, the Athenian was in trouble in the second set.
Broken at the start and trailing 3-0 against a more incisive FAA, the world No. 6 seemed to be on the edge. But he tightened his game in time, erased four set points, and forced his opponent into errors several times. This advantage was confirmed in the tie-break, which he controlled until the end (7-4). With this 298th victory on the main circuit, achieved with character, Tsitsipas advances to the round of 16, where he will face Alexander Zverev. And he gets closer to qualifying for the end-of-year Masters.
Race to the Masters: Hurkacz on the lookout, De Minaur still in the mix, Paul out
The race to the Masters, as usual, is one of the major stakes of the Paris week. Hubert Hurkacz, who easily defeated Roberto Bautista Agut (6-3, 6-2), is in 9th place in the Race and remains on the lookout for any slip-up from Holger Rune.
Alex De Minaur, who had to work hard to defeat Dusan Lajovic (4-6, 6-4, 6-4), is further back (13th), but still has hope of making it to Turin. However, Tommy Paul is no longer in contention, as he had to give up his spot in the Piemonte event after losing to Botic van de Zandschulp (6-4, 2-6, 6-3).
