American Taylor Fritz is still in the hunt for one of the last two ATP Finals available passes, after beating Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 7-5, 6-2 in the first round of the Paris Masters on Monday. Quebecer Félix Auger-Aliassime is still fighting for a place in the tournament.
Fritz erased a 2-4 deficit in the first set and took the second by winning the last four games. Davidovich Fokina committed 24 unforced errors, compared to just 9 for Fritz, the tournament’s ninth seed.
In the second round, Fritz will battle Frenchman Gilles Simon, who won a duel of seasoned thirty-somethings against Briton Andy Murray 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.
Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud, Daniil Medvedev and Novak Djokovic have already qualified for the ATP Finals.
Félix Auger-Aliassime, who has won his last three tournaments, Fritz, Andrey Rublev and Hubert Hurkacz are all battling for their place in the prestigious eight-player season-ending tournament.
Fritz has triumphed in Tokyo, Eastbourne and Indian Wells this season. He lost in the quarter-finals to the future Paris Masters champion, Djokovic, last year.
Matteo Berrettini, the 13e seed, withdrew from the tournament with a left foot injury, and was replaced in the main draw by fellow Italian Fabio Fognini.
Jannik Sinner and Marin Čilić are the only seeds to have been ousted on Monday.
Sinner (noh 11) gave in to Switzerland’s Marc-Andrea Hüsler 6-2, 6-3, while Cilic (noh 15) was eliminated by Italian Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-4.
John Isner, Cameron Norrie, Karen Khachanov, Yoshihito Nishioka and Nikoloz Basilashvili continued on to round two in Paris.
Isner hailed his comeback after nursing a wrist injury in a 6-4, 7-6(3) win over Oscar Otte. Isner will now have a date with Rublev, the seventh seed.
Nishioka defeated Aslan Karatsev 6-3, 6-4, and he will face favorite Alcaraz in the next round.
For his part, Norrie, 12e seeded beat Miomir Kecmanović 6-2, 6-4, while Khachanov beat Sebastián Báez 6-1, 6-1. Basilashvili meanwhile beat home favorite Quentin Halys 6-3, 6-4.
Richard Gasquet easily beat Alex Molcan 6-3, 6-1, while Maxime Cressy defeated Diego Schwartzman 6-3, 6-3.
American Frances Tiafoe, ranked 16ealso reached the next round, after winning in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 against Lorenzo Sonego.
In addition, the Swedish Mikael Ymer, a player from the qualifications, deserved an appointment with the Montrealer Félix Auger-Aliassime following his victory in three sets of 6-1, 6-7 (2), 6- 4 against Kazakh Alexander Bublik.
Auger-Aliassime will face Ymer on Wednesday in what will be his first match of the tournament. Seeded eighth, Auger-Aliassime benefits from a direct pass for the second round.
In addition, Denis Shapovalov will begin his singles journey on Tuesday against the Argentinian Francisco Cerúndolo, in a first round duel.
Shapovalov comes to Paris after losing in three sets in the final of the Vienna tournament on Sunday against Russian Daniil Medvedev.
In the last match of the evening on Monday, American Sebastian Korda faced Australian Alex de Minaur. The winner will get, as a reward, a duel against Medvedev in the second round.