Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Casper Ruud, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Andrey Rublev: here are finally the eight masters who will compete in Turin in less than ten days. If we consider nationalities, two Spaniards, two Russians, a Norwegian, a Canadian, a Greek and a Serbian. And unfortunately not even an Italian.
As was to be expected, it was the last Masters 1000 of the season, that of Paris-Bercy, that provided the definitive grid. Until yesterday there were two boxes to fill, and it was the defeats of Hubert Hurkacz at the hands of Holger Rune and Taylor Fritz by an incredible and above all interminable Gilles Simon (37 years old) to put the Canadian and Russian ticket for the Pala Alpitour.
As often happens in Bercy, where many arrive with a desperate hunger for points but all pay the wear and tear of an infinite season, the predictions become tissue paper. So “Gillou”, who is at the last tournament in his career, brought almost by force from the home crowd, gave himself another day of glory – and at least another game – disorienting Fritz with his luciferian geometries, while the star Rune, who we will see in Milan for the Next Gen Finals, has sent the Polish hammer back home. The biggest surprise, even if not so sensational, given the circumstances, was offered by Tommy Paul, a very honest Yankee top 40 who took away the satisfaction of beating a Nadal on his return to the races after two months and his fatherhood, and obviously out of shape. Rafa must hail the idea of finishing 2022 at the top of the ranking at the age of 36 – two days ago he was the first to put his hands forward: “I’m not fighting for the number one” -, the hope at this point is that he will recover in time an acceptable condition for Turin.
Number one are, or were, four of the qualifiers for the Finals: Nadal himself, the current ruler Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev, another crowned head who fell yesterday: he was beaten in three sets by the highly inspired “kangaroo »De Minaur.
Djokovic and Medevdev, along with Tsitsipas, are the three who have already won the old «Masters» and Novak this year can hope to reach Federer’s record of six wins.
To try to win at the Pala Alpitour there are still 4.7 million other good reasons: that’s the amount, in dollars, that the new «Maestro» will collect if he ends the week undefeated. This is, for the record, the highest prize pool ever awarded in tennis for a single player.
Today at 11.30 in the meantime it is again Lorenzo Musetti’s turn: in the second round a very tough challenge awaits him against Casper Ruud, this year finalist at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini also return to the field (second match from 11 on field number two) in search of the last spot for the doubles Finals against Bopanna-Middelkoop. After Musetti, on the power plant it will be the turn of Alcaraz, opposite to Dimitrov, who yesterday easily disposed of an exhausted Fognini; to Simon who challenges Aliassime (himself put to the test by Michael Ymer); to Djokovic meeting Khachanov. In the evening Carreno Busta-Tommy Paul, and Tsitsipas opposed to the winner from the ‘after hour’ match between Moutet and Norrie which started very late (with its aftermath of controversy). De Minaur-Tiafoe and Rune-Rublev complete the singles program on field number 1.
Live TV on Sky Sport, the best match of the day at 9pm on SuperTennis.