2024 Paris Masters Day 2: Alcaraz In Action, Tiafoe v Basel Winner Mpetshi Perricard

The final Masters event of 2024 got underway Monday in Paris with a few notable results as Stefanos Tsitsipas kept his year alive with a 3-set win over Roberto Carballes Baena while Tommy Paul fell to Adrian Mannarino ending any hopes he had of making the last eight in Turin next month.

Four spots are still undecided for Turin, though Taylor Fritz is all but in and then the idle Novak Djokovic, Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev are all looking to hang on to their spots.

Alex De Minaur is just behind and likely the only guy who could spoil things for the guys ahead.

Tomorrow, the race resumes with Carlos Alcaraz hoping to sweep both Paris events this year as he takes on Nicolas Jarry. Alcaraz can’t claim the year-end No. 1, but he can keep No. 2 from Alexander Zverev.

“I have important tournaments ahead, that I really want to go far and play good tennis,” Alcaraz said. “The most important thing that I have to think is to understand the goals about the end of the year. I want to finish second in the rankings. That means that I have to play good tennis and be fresh mentally to do good results in the last tournaments.”

The Spaniard, though, has never made it beyond the quarterfinals.

New Basel winner Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard will debut in front of his home fans as a real threat as he meets Frances Tiafoe in the match of the day. The 21-year-old 6-foot-8 Perricard was around 200 this time last year, and now is 31 after his big win yesterday in Basel over Ben Shelton.

“The way he serves is unbelievable,” Alcaraz said of the young Frenchman.

“Yeah, I played against him recently, was totally different conditions. Obviously the court was slower, so I could return his serves few times, you know, in the games that I broke his serve. So it was difficult, because, you know, from the baseline he has big shots, as well.

“Really good forehand, good volleys. You know, he can be solid from the baseline. So I think he just have to win in Basel and probably is a player who is going to be there for a long time.

Arthur Fils faces the veteran Marin Cilic and former champion Holger Rune takes on Matteo Arnaldi.

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