Can Fritz Maintain His Dominance as Norrie Stuns Alcaraz in Paris?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Taylor Fritz secures a solid win, enhancing his ATP Finals prospects.
- Cameron Norrie achieves a major upset against world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz.
- Alcaraz struggles with unforced errors, reflecting a dip in form.
- Andrey Rublev breaks a losing streak, signaling a comeback.
- Fritz's next opponent is either Bublik or Moutet.
Paris, Oct 29 (NationPress) Taylor Fritz maintained his lead in the race for the ATP Finals by defeating Australian Aleksandar Vukic at the Paris Masters. Fritz breezed through the match with a scoreline of 7-6(4), 6-2, showing little sign of being challenged. The US Open finalist, who also reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon and the quarter-finals at the US Open this season, faced no serious threats against Vukic.
Fritz showcased his superior serving skills (12 aces compared to Vukic's 7) and effectively returned both first and second serves. He broke Vukic twice and did not face a single break point on his serve. The match concluded in just 96 minutes, marking a perfect celebration for his 28th birthday.
Fritz will play against the winner of the match between 13th seed Alexander Bublik and French player Corentin Moutet in the next round.
On the same day, fellow contenders for Turin, including Ben Shelton, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Daniil Medvedev, also secured victories, ensuring Fritz remains in fifth place in the ATP Live Race to Turin.
In another notable match, Cameron Norrie achieved his first victory over world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz, triumphing with a score of 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. This win advances the British left-hander to the round of 16 at a Masters 1000 event for the first time since Rome in 2023, matching his best result in Paris (R3, 2021).
Competing for the first time since winning his eighth title of the season in Tokyo, Alcaraz struggled to find his rhythm, committing 54 unforced errors during the match against Norrie, who now holds a 5-3 record against him in their ATP head-to-head encounters.
Elsewhere, after a challenging streak of five consecutive losses, Andrey Rublev found his footing by defeating Learner Tien 6-4, 6-4. Although the match was not without its flaws, featuring seven aces countered by seven double faults, Rublev managed to win seven of the last ten points, indicating his return to form.
Rublev is set to face Ben Shelton in his next match.