Scouting Report: 10 Things To Watch In Paris
The Rolex Paris Masters determines who clinches the last two singles and three doubles spots for the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals, held at The O2 in London from 10-17 November, but several other intriguing storylines will also unfold this week. Here are 10 things to watch from Paris.
1. Zverev's Chance: Alexander Zverev will earn a chance to defend his title in London if he reaches the final this week. He's currently seventh in the ATP Race to London with 2,855 points.
2. Berrettini's Bid: Matteo Berrettini is eighth in the Race with 2,660 points. The Italian will secure his maiden appearance at The O2 if he reaches the final in Paris, but may need to get past Zverev since they share the same half of the draw. Berrettini has reached the semi-finals in three of his past five tour-level events.
3. Title Town: Roberto Bautista Agut, Fabio Fognini, David Goffin and Gael Monfils can all take their place in London by winning the title this week. Fognini is the only one of the four who has prevailed at a Masters 1000 event, clinching his maiden crown at this level at this year's Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters (d. Lajovic).
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4. Last Chance For London: Diego Schwartzman must reach the final to give himself a chance at scoring his maiden appearance at The O2. Four players must leave with the winner's trophy in order to have a shot: defending champion Karen Khachanov, Stan Wawrinka, John Isner and Alex de Minaur.
5. Knockout Matches: Several potential early-round matches could see some of the remaining contenders for London square off. Bautista Agut is on course for a second-round clash with De Minaur. Zverev and Fognini could meet in the third round, while Khachanov and Berrettini might also battle at the same juncture.
6. Doubles Draw Heats Up: The final three team berths for London will be up for grabs this week. Jean-Julien Rojer/Horia Tecau (3,585), Rajeev Ram/Joe Salisbury (3,490) and Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan (3,380) are the current frontrunners in the Race for those spots, but Bryan/Bryan are not competing in Paris. Henri Kontinen/John Peers and Ivan Dodig/Filip Polasek must reach the final to have a chance at qualifying for London, while Jeremy Chardy/Fabrice Martin and Marcel Granollers/Horacio Zeballos must take the title.
7. Battle For Year-End No. 1: Rafael Nadal will clinch year-end No. 1 for the fifth time if he can win his first title at this event. The second-seeded Spaniard leads Djokovic by 1,280 points in the Race, which acts as a barometer for who will finish the year at No. 1. Meanwhile, Djokovic is seeking a record-tying sixth year-end No. 1 finish.
8. Roger That: Roger Federer will compete in Paris twice in one season for the first time since 2015. The third seed holds a 23-11 record at the AccorHotels Arena and has reached the quarter-finals in five of his past six appearances, but aims to be the last man standing for the first time since 2011.
9. Medvedev's Quest For History: Fourth seed Daniil Medvedev has reached the final of his past six tour-level events and arrives on a nine-match winning streak. The Russian looks to become the first player to complete the Cincinnati-Shanghai-Paris triple.
10. Isner Back From Paternity Leave: John Isner welcomed his second child with wife Madison on 20 October, a baby boy named John Hobbs Isner. The 34-year-old has enjoyed success here before, having finished runner-up in 2016 (l. to Murray).