Novak Djokovic wins, Daniil Medvedev reacts to boos after loss

Novak Djokovic commenced his pursuit for a record-breaking seventh Paris Masters title with a flawless performance in his first singles match in over six weeks.

Serbia’s Djokovic, who had been absent from the court since a Davis Cup encounter on September 15, emerged victorious with a score of 6-3 6-2 against Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry.

The 24-time major champion will now face Tallon Griekspoor in the round of 16.

Third seed Daniil Medvedev seemed to express his frustration towards the crowd after his defeat to Grigor Dimitrov.

Medvedev, 27, responded to the French fans’ boos by raising his middle finger, having ultimately succumbed to the Bulgarian’s dominance, who secured a 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-2) victory on their seventh match point.

The Russian’s loss implies that the two top-seeded players after Djokovic have already been eliminated, as Spanish second seed Carlos Alcaraz suffered a shocking exit against 45th-ranked Roman Safiullin on Tuesday.

Djokovic, 36, significantly increased his chances of finishing above Alcaraz as the year-end number one with his triumphant return to the tour.

Despite not competing in a tour-level singles match since securing the US Open title on September 10, Djokovic’s performance was exceptional throughout the encounter with the 31st-ranked Etcheverry.

Djokovic impressively won three out of seven break points and successfully saved the only break point he faced.

Dimitrov gets revenge on Medvedev, while Tsitsipas advances

Just six days ago in Vienna, former world number three Dimitrov was defeated by Medvedev despite initially leading the match.

This time, the 32-year-old thwarted another comeback from the 2021 US Open champion in a commanding deciding tie-break.

Greek seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas moved one step closer to securing his place at the season-ending ATP Finals with an impressive triumph over Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Under immense pressure, Tsitsipas efficiently saved six out of seven break points and secured a 6-3 7-6 (7-4) victory to reach the round of 16.

He also demonstrated resilience by saving four set points, as Auger-Aliassime appeared to be poised to force a third set. Tsitsipas persevered and achieved a crucial win that could contribute to his qualification for the Finals in Turin.

Tsitsipas will next face Germany’s Alexander Zverev, who reportedly has been charged with assaulting an ex-girlfriend, or France’s Ugo Humbert.

Australia’s Alex de Minaur advanced by defeating Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic 4-6 6-4 6-4, marking his 200th career win.

The 24-year-old, who previously defeated Britain’s Andy Murray, is the first player born in 1999 or later to reach this milestone.

In the doubles tournament, Britain’s Jamie Murray‘s chances of qualifying for the season-ending event were hindered by a second-round loss in Paris.

Murray, 37, and his partner Michael Venus from New Zealand, currently ranked ninth in the race (with the top eight qualifying for Turin), were defeated 6-4 6-3 by Mexico’s Santiago Gonzalez and France’s Edouard Roger-Vasselin.

Meanwhile, Britain’s world number three Neal Skupski is in search of a new partner for the 2024 season after his successful partnership with Dutchman Wesley Koolhof came to an end.

The pair, who won the Wimbledon title earlier this year, still have the opportunity to finish the season as the top-ranked duo; however, Koolhof has decided to reunite with his former partner, Nikola Mektic of Croatia.

Reference