Sebastian Korda overcame this year’s Dubai and Moscow champion Aslan Karatsev 6-2 6-7 (9-11) 7-6 (7-5) to advance to the second round at the Rolex Paris Masters.
Korda went up a 3-0 lead with two breaks in the first set. Karatsev pulled one back back for 1-3, but Korda earned his third break to take a 4-1 lead and held his final two service games to win the first set 6-2.
Korda wasted two match points at 7-6 and 8-7 in the tie-break of the second set. Karatsev won four of the the final five points to seal the tie-break 11-9.
Karatsev saved a total of eight break points in the second and sixth games of the third set. Korda went up a 3-0 with two mini-breaks in the tie-break. Karatsev pulled back on serve for 4-5. Korda earned his third mini-break to take a 6-4 lead before sealing the tie-break 7-5 on his fourth match point.
“I knew what to expect and it all came down to the clutch moments. It was so much fun to play in front of the Paris crowd, they get so fired up and it is so awesome. I had a lot of chances in the second set and I did not take them. Then he broke me and I broke back. It was a dog fight in the end. I had match points in the second set and learnt a few things in the tie-break. It was just getting myself back into those break point opportunities and finding a way”, said Korda.
Karatsev kept alive his hope of qualifying for the ATP Finals in Turin with his second ATP Tour title at the Moscow Kremlin Cup, but his defeat against Korda put an end to his dream to play in Turin, as he is no longer able to catch eight-placed Jannik Sinner.
Cameron Norrie reeled off nine consecutive games from 2-2 in the first set to beat Federico Delbonis 6-2 6-1 in 73 minutes.
Norrie is currently ranked 11th in the ATP Race to Turin and started the week 140 points behind eighth-placed Jannik Sinner. The British player will face either Filip Krajinovic or Reilly Opelka.
Norrie won two titles in Los Cabos and at the Masters 1000 tournament in Indian Wells.
German lucky loser Dominik Koepfer has replaced Jenson Brooksby, who withdrew from the tournament due to an abdominal injury. Koepfer will face 2016 Paris Bercy champion Andy Murray.
Novak Djokovic and Filip Krajinovic came back from a set down to beat Alex De Minaur and Luke Saville 4-6 6-4 10-7 in 1 hour and 36 minutes. Djokovic has played the doubles tournament for the third time this season following the ATP Cup and Mallorca. The Serbian team will face Filip Polasek and John Peers.
Ariel Behar and Gonzalo Escobar fought back from a set and a break down to beat Raven Klaasen and Ben McLachlan 6-7 (1-7) 7-6 (7-3) 10-6 in 2 hours and 1 minute. Behar and Esobar, who won two titles in Delray Beach and Marbella, set up a second round match against Pierre Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut.
Fabrice Martin and Andreas Mies broke three times in their 6-3 7-5 win over Jean-Julien Rojer and Wesley Koolhof. Martin and Mies will take on Horia Tecau and Kevin Krawietz.
