For Jannik Sinner there is no good news from the Paris-Bercy tournament, where he hoped to get a slice of the ATP Finals. Instead, in addition to the elimination at the hands of the Spanish talent Alcaraz, the South Tyrolean also had to ‘cash in’ the success – suffered but deserved – of the direct rival for the race for the Turin tournament: Hubert Hurkacz, in fact, qualified for the quarters of the ATP 1000 tournament, gaining other points in the special ranking that gives access to the Finals.
The Polish tennis player (3,135 points) is eighth, with 120 points ahead of Sinner (3,015), who remains ninth, therefore currently out of the ‘magnificent eight’ that will meet in the shadow of the Mole from 14 to 21 November. Hurkacz (n.24 in the world) beat the German Dominik Koepfer (n.58 in the ranking) in three sets (4-6, 7-5, 6-2) and will challenge the Australian James Duckworth in the quarterfinals. Next week the last 250 points of the season will be awarded, with Sinner having to hope for an early elimination of his direct rivals to play it all in the ATP in Stockholm. By gaining access as a first reserve to the Finals, Sinner could still enter the eight of the tournament in the event of a forfeit.
Djokovic, barring surprises, will be there, while Stefanos Tsitsipas has questioned his recovery in time for the Turin appointment due to a problem in his right arm. Speaking of Novak Djokovic, it took him little, indeed nothing, to reach the quarterfinals in Paris: the world no.1 did not even take the field, benefiting from the injury of Gael Monfils. ‘Nole’ only played one match in the tournament: the second round match against Marton Fucsovics. For him now there is the challenge against Taylor Fritz, n.26 in the world. The 24-year-old American is going through a splendid moment of form and is fresh from the final lost in St. Petersburg against Marin Cilic in the third set. Fritz is still missing his first title this year and his first Masters 1000 win in his career. Fritz, before challenging Djokovic, eliminated Sinner’s other direct contender in the race to the Finals: Britain’s Cameron Norrie, who was defeated 6-3, 7-6, remaining 70 points behind Sinner.