Carlos Alcaraz arrived at Paris Master 1.000 with a double goal: to win the title and keep the number one in the world. With the second already secured, Murciano took another sure step towards the trophy on Thursday. Because he overtook the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov28th in the standings, which he defeated with a convincing 6-1 and 6-3 and reached the quarter-finals of the French tournament, the last on the calendar before the ATP Finals.
“I think I played much better than my first game. I’m slowly getting used to these conditions and it means a lot to me to get to the quarter-finals of this tournament”, commented the student of Giovanni Carlo Ferrero.
Your next opponent will be Duna Holger, another representative of this new generation that is gaining more and more ground. The Dane, 19 years old and 18th in the standings, was responsible for one of the big surprises of the day, beating the Russian 6-4, 7-5 Andrea Rublevseventh seed.
Alcaraz seeks the sixth title of a season of consecration in Paris. No one has won, at least until now, as many singles titles as he has. he was crowned Rio de Janeiro, the Miami Masters 1,000, Barcelona, the Madrid Master 1.000 and the US Open. His consecration in New York, the first for him in a Grand Slam, made him the youngest player in history to reach number 1. That “1” that will become his, at least for another two weeks, thanks to the defeat of his compatriot Rafael Nadal.
The Majorcan was the only one who could dethrone Carlitos in Paris. He needed to raise the trophy of the only Masters 1,000 that he still couldn’t win and that Alcaraz didn’t reach the quarter-finals.
Murcian debuted with a win against the Japanese on Wednesday Yoshihito Nishioka for a double 6-4. And then Rafa lost 3-6, 7-6 (7-4) and 6-1 against the American tommy paoloin a duel where he was more erratic than usual and showed a fairly weak serve game.
“I didn’t deserve the win,” said Nadal, who came from a long inactivity. He had played his last official tournament at the US Open (he fell in the round of 16 against Frances Tiafoe) and then took a break to accompany his wife. Mery Perello in the last weeks of pregnancy (little Rafa, the couple’s first daughter, was born in early October). From her time in New York, she has only played one game in Laver cupthe double that marked the retirement of his eternal rival and friend Roger Federer.
“Undoubtedly a lot has happened in the last few months. We are always ready to find excuses, but in the end it is always the same. If you play well you win, if you don’t you lose.” I did things well, “he acknowledged. .
After the fall of Nadal, Alcaraz will leave the French capital as the leader of the standings, given that, with the passage to the quarter-finals, he obtained 6,820 points and the Majorcan’s account was 5,820. Although Murcian is still not guaranteed the “1” until the end of the year.
Because the last tournament on the calendar, the ATP finals in Turin – which will be played from 13 to 20 November, with the two Spaniards in the draw – 1,500 units will be involved (which the unbeaten champion would take). And depending on how far Alcaraz goes to Paris, he could put the top spot on the Masters back into play.
What does Carlitos have to do to secure the summit this week? Win the title. If he does, he will reach 7,640 points and take 1,720 from Nadal. If he falls in the quarter-finals, semifinal (would remain with 7,000) or final (7,240), Rafa will still have the opportunity to steal his throne in Turin.
“It is a very good feeling to know that I am at the top, to feel that I am the best tennis player in the world. However, I am clear that it is only a number. I can lose to anyone and being at the top of the table does not make me win every game. and the tournaments I participate in. For me the most important thing is to accept that if I don’t play at the highest level I will lose against anyone, that’s what helps me to keep working right now “, Murciano analyzed.
Although he clarified: “It’s a great year for me and I’d like to finish on top”.
If he succeeds, he will be the first player out of the game Fantastic Four -group formed by Federer, Nadal, Novak Djokovic Y Andy Murray– close the year at the top of the rankings since then Andy Roddick in 2003.
The farewell of Simone
The Masters 1.000 in Paris experienced a night of great emotion. Because Gilles Simoneone of the standard-bearers of a generation of French players who have left their mark on the circuit in recent years, ended his career by falling in the round of 16 for Felix Auger-Aliassime. The Canadian, eighth favorite, won 6-1 and 6-3 and sentenced one of the great local idols of recent years to retirement.
Simon hung up the racket at the age of 37 after a great career. He won 14 titles (the last, at Metz 2018) and played eight other finals, including those of the Masters 1,000 in Madrid 2008 – with a win against Nadal, then number 1, in the semifinals – and Shanghai 2014. In 2008, in Additionally, he scored a big win over runner-up Federer in the Shanghai Masters round robin. A few months later, in January 2009, he reached the sixth step of the world rankings.
In 2017 he was part of the French team which was crowned champion of the Davis Cup and cut a 16-year drought with no consecrations in that traditional tournament.
Simon had announced that Paris would be his last tournament. Placed in 188th place in the rankings, he received a wild card to play it. And against all odds, he reached the round of 16 with two big wins. At the debut he beat the Scotsman Andy Murray 4-6, 7-5 and 6-3 and in the second round the American Taylor Fritz, 11th in the ATP, with 7-5, 5-7 and 6-4. His dream ended when he met Auger-Aliassime, the player of the moment, who just won three titles in three consecutive weeks, and defeated him without major problems.
“My goal was to have fun with you one last time, it was very exciting, extend it by one, two, three games. I experienced, thanks to you, incredible emotions”, commented the Frenchman, who enjoyed deserved tribute. of the French Tennis Federation, with the presence of many of his friends and compatriots, such as Nicholas Mahut Y Luca Pouilleand video messages from other big players, such as Jo-Wilfred TsongaDjokovic and Nadal, among others.
Djokovic, yes; rude, no
Thursday’s session left a couple of unexpected results in Paris. In addition to the defeat of Rublev (7th) against Rune, the round of 16 left the elimination Casper Ruudthird favorite, against another young Next Gen talent. The Norwegian was unable to beat the Italian Lorenzo Musetti20 years and 23 in the world, which beat him 4-6, 6-4 and 6-4.
Musetti will now face sixth-seeded Djokovic, who did not reserve any surprises against the Russian. Karen Khachanov. The Serbian, defending champion, won 6-4, 6-1 in just one hour and 27 minutes.
freight wants to end a complicated year with a smile, in which a large part of the calendar has been lost due to his refusal to vaccinate against COVID-19 (many countries still required the vaccination of foreign visitors). The former number one could only play ten tournaments (counting Paris) and missed, among others, the Australian Open (he could stay out in 2023 as well, because they may not give him a visa after being deported this year) and the US Open.
Djokovic made the most of his small business, however, as he won four titles, the Rome Masters 1,000, Wimbledon, tel Aviv Y Astana; and was also a finalist in Belgrade. Despite the absence from major events and the fact that Wimbledon does not distribute points, it cost him a drop in the standings, from first to seventh, which could be accentuated if he does not do well in Paris and in the ATP Finals, where he defends the semi-final.
In another match of the day, the American Francesca Tiafèseeded 16, won 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) against the Australian Alessio De Minauro25th in the ATP and who came from down to Daniel Medvedev. The American will now go to Auger-Aliassime.
Source: Clarin
