PARIS — Jannik Sinner’s quest to reclaim the top ranking kicked off successfully on Wednesday with a commanding 6-4, 6-2 triumph over Zizou Bergs in the second round of the Paris Masters. To dethrone Carlos Alcaraz, Sinner needs to take the title here.
After a remarkable 65-week reign as the world No. 1, Sinner saw his status slip in September when Alcaraz clinched the U.S. Open title against him, marking his sixth major win. However, the landscape shifted when Alcaraz was upset by unseeded Cameron Norrie in the previous round in Paris, creating an opportunity for Sinner in their ongoing rivalry.
Throughout the match, Sinner kept Bergs under intense pressure, crafting 11 break-point opportunities and successfully converting three of them, while remarkably not allowing a single break point against him.
“I was very precise today, and starting off with an early break helped boost my confidence,” Sinner said. As he aims for his fifth title this year and the 23rd of his career, he added, “I’m really pleased with my serving performance.”
The 24-year-old secured victory on his first match point and is set to face unseeded Francisco Cerundolo next in round three.
“My movement felt great,” remarked Sinner, who recently won an ATP 500 tournament in Vienna despite battling cramps during the event.
Defending champion Alexander Zverev also advanced to round three, overcoming a 3-1 deficit in the final set to defeat Camilo Ugo Carabelli with a score of 6-7 (5), 6-1, 7-5.
Zverev’s second serve proved crucial, winning 78% of points compared to just 42% for Carabelli, who faced four break failures. Zverev will next meet 15th-seeded Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
In other matches, ninth-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime from Canada fought back from a break down in the second set and a daunting 3-0 deficit in the third set tiebreak to secure a 5-7, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) victory over Frenchman Alexandre Muller.
Auger-Aliassime’s rollercoaster performance featured a mix of 50 winners and 55 unforced errors, but he keeps his hopes alive for a spot in the prestigious season-ending ATP Finals in Turin, Italy. His next challenge is against unseeded Daniel Altmaier, who eliminated eighth-seeded Casper Ruud with a 6-3, 7-5 win, thus dashing Ruud’s Turin aspirations.
No. 11 seed Daniil Medvedev progressed by walkover after Grigor Dimitrov, the 2023 tournament runner-up, withdrew due to a shoulder injury.
The cousins’ clash saw Valentin Vacherot triumph again, overcoming Arthur Rinderknech with a score of 6-7 (9), 6-3, 6-4.
“It was very physical and mentally challenging,” Vacherot admitted. “We were both very tense, and I think the crowd could sense that.”
Just over two weeks ago, Vacherot celebrated his first career title by winning the Shanghai Masters against Rinderknech after an impressive run from qualifying.
The 40th-ranked Vacherot, hailing from Monaco, will face Norrie in the next round.
