World No 2 Carlos Alcaraz suffered a shock defeat to Roman Safiullin at the Paris Masters as he misplaced his opening match of a event for the first time in 2023.
The two-time Grand Slam champion was overwhelmed 6-3 6-4 by the world No 45 in what was the gamers’ first assembly on the ATP Tour, with the Russian helped by Alcaraz’s 27 unforced errors.
Safiullin transformed 4 of eight break factors – two in every set – and saved two of the 4 break factors Alcaraz managed to engineer as he recorded his greatest victory to date.
The 26-year-old has emerged as a drive in 2023, reaching the quarter-finals at Wimbledon earlier than shedding to Jannik Sinner and ending runner-up to Alexander Zverev at the Chengdu Open.
Safiullin stated after beating Alcaraz: “Against Carlos and these top-10, top-20 guys, you could have to elevate up the extent. I managed to do it.
“For Carlos, it was not his greatest efficiency, however nonetheless I’m completely satisfied that I can win. Even if he is not in the very best form it is powerful to beat him, so I’m actually completely satisfied that I made it.
“Everything against these guys [is important]. Tactical, physical, the mental part. [It’s key] to stay focussed from the beginning to the end. Who can make it longer is going to be the winner.”
Alcaraz’s hopes of returning to world No 1 dented
Alcaraz was taking part in for the first time since his last-16 defeat to Grigor Dimitrov in Shanghai 20 days in the past, having pulled out of final week’s occasion in Basel due to foot and again issues.
He appeared rusty as he slipped to an opening-match defeat in a Masters 1000 occasion for the first time since happening to Tommy Paul in Montreal final yr.
The 20-year-old broke early in the first set earlier than being pegged again, whereas he then opened up a 3-1 benefit in the second set solely for Safiullin to reel off 5 of the subsequent six video games to clinch victory.
Alcaraz’s loss to Safiullin dents his hopes of ending the season as world No 1 for the second straight yr.
Novak Djokovic, who at the moment holds that rating, begins his Paris Masters marketing campaign towards Tomás Martín Etcheverry on Wednesday with the Serb trying for his seventh title in this occasion.
Djokovic performed in the doubles on Tuesday, teaming up with compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic to beat Ecuador’s Gonzalo Escobar and Kazakhstan’s Aleksandr Nedovyesov, as he returned to motion for the first time since beating Daniil Medvedev in the US Open last on September 10.
What else occurred in Paris on Tuesday?
Ninth seed Taylor Fritz’s hopes of an ATP Finals spot diminished as he withdrew from his match towards Daniel Altmaier with an stomach harm.
The world quantity 10 can be now miss out on the season-ending event in Turin ought to sixth seed Holger Rune beat Dominic Thiem in his second-round match.
Tenth seed Alexander Zverev rallied from a sloppy begin to beat Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics 4-6 7-5 6-4, shifting nearer to securing his spot at the ATP Finals.
Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, the eleventh seed, additionally saved alive his Finals hopes by incomes a three-set win over American Sebastian Korda.
Argentine Francisco Cerundolo saved a match level and bounced again from a two-game deficit in the third set to beat dwelling favorite Gael Monfils, whereas fifth seed Andrey Rublev defeated Yoshihito Nishioka 6-4 6-3.
Plus, sixteenth seed Karen Khachanov superior to the third spherical, seeing off Laslo Djere 6-4 7-5.
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