Carlos Alcaraz Paris Masters 1000 quarterfinal bid, Digi Mart USA News (Paris): Spanish player Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the round of 16 of the Paris Masters 1000 tournament, where he is now the clear favorite after several top names were eliminated. World No. 1 Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic, who has the most wins in the tournament, and Daniil Medvedev all exited early.
Alcaraz, ranked No. 3, won his sixth consecutive victory by defeating American Alex Michelsen, ranked 35th in the world, 7-6(4) and 6-3 in his Paris debut. The win puts him in the round of 16 at the Paris Masters for the fourth time.
Alcaraz will face Italian Matteo Berrettini for a place in the quarterfinals, his best result at this tournament. Berrettini had defeated Frenchman Ugo Humbert, the 2024 finalist, 7-6(3) and 7-5.
The Spaniard has won three of the four previous meetings against Berrettini, whom he last faced at Wimbledon in 2023.
After an early loss in Shanghai, Alcaraz showed strong form and arrived in Paris after winning his fourth title of the year in Vienna, also played indoors. The result indicated he had overcome the wrist injury that kept him off the court for four months.
“I knew it was not going to be an easy match. In Tokyo, where conditions suited me better, he made it difficult for me too.
Here I knew it would be complicated, he has a big serve and plays very flat,” Alcaraz said.
Alcaraz also said he struggled to adapt to a court he had not trained on, since he had practiced in other facilities of the French Tennis Federation in the days before. “I had not touched these courts, and that made it twice as difficult.
You have to stay concentrated at all times, on every shot,” he said.
“I think I did everything very well, very correctly. Above all, I was strong when difficulties came and I solved them very well.
I am happy about that,” he added.
Michelsen, 22, did not make it easy and forced Alcaraz to battle for 1 hour and 42 minutes, but he ultimately succumbed. Alcaraz, who has never lost to a younger player and has not lost in the first round of any tournament this season, took an early lead in the first set before Michelsen pulled level and forced a tiebreak, where he led 4-1.
Alcaraz then won seven consecutive points to take the set.
In the second set, Alcaraz played more aggressively, and Michelsen struggled to hold serve until Alcaraz broke him in the eighth game to close out the match in the next.
Alcaraz is considered the tournament’s top favorite alongside American Ben Shelton, ranked fourth in the world. The other major stars were eliminated early.
Zverev, who was making his debut as world No. 1, lost to Italian Lorenzo Musetti 7-6(5) and 6-2 and expressed frustration over the treatment he has received since reaching the top ranking. “For a couple of days I have been fed up.
Reaching world No. 1 is something everyone dreams of. But I feel I am the only one in history who has to explain why I am No. 1.
I believe I deserve to be where I am. But when you have to justify it so many times, it is annoying,” he said.
Djokovic, who has 51 victories and seven titles at the tournament, was surprised by Australian Rinky Kijikata, ranked 83rd and coming through qualifying, 2-6, 6-3 and 6-3. “I lost control of the match,” said the 39-year-old Serbian, who will not play the ATP Finals, where he has missed only one edition in 20 years.
Medvedev, the 2020 champion, lost to Peruvian Ignacio Buse 6-4 and 6-4.
Only Shelton, who secured his place in the round of 16 on Tuesday, remains among the top favorites. He will face Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech on Thursday, who eliminated Italian Mattia Bellucci.
Alcaraz and Shelton can only meet in the final next Sunday.
