Seeds Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton received byes in the first round and will play their opening matches at the Paris Masters 1000 on Tuesday. They will face Cameron Norrie and Flavio Cobolli respectively.
(1) Carlos Alcaraz vs. Cameron Norrie
Alcaraz and Norrie have a surprisingly extended rivalry as they prepare for a new chapter in the second round of the Rolex Paris Masters on Tuesday. The head-to-head series stands at 5-2 in favor of Alcaraz, who last scored 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon this summer. Norrie’s victories have come at the 2022 Cincinnati Masters and the 2023 ATP 500 in Rio, both in tight three-setters.
This is only Alcaraz’s second official tournament since the US Open after a title in Tokyo, although he has also competed in the Laver Cup and the Six Kings Slam. The 22-year-old Spaniard has never been at his best on indoor hard courts during the fall swing, so he’s by no means an absolute lock to make a deep run in Paris. And Norrie is not an easy drop, especially after the 31st-ranked Brit has grown accustomed to the new playing conditions in La Defense with a 6-3, 6-4 defeat to Sebastian Baez on Monday. Alcaraz should be able to get the job done in straight sets, but this could be more competitive than many expect.
Choice: Alcaraz in 2
(5) Ben Shelton vs. Flavio Cobolli
It will be a repeat of a controversial Toronto Masters encounter when Shelton and Cobolli meet again on Tuesday. Shelton survived a fourth-round showdown in a third-set tiebreaker en route to his biggest title, after which there a long and relatively heated exchange at the net. Overall, the head-to-head series stands at 2-2, with Shelton leading 2-1 on hard courts (all three outdoors). All four previous matches required a final set.
Another good one should be in the cards. Cobolli may be the underdog based on the rankings, but the 23rd-ranked Italian is in good form, while Shelton is on his way back from a shoulder injury suffered at the US Open. The seventh-ranked American is 1-2 this fall, with straight losses to David Goffin in the second round of Shanghai and to Jaume Munar in the second round of Basel. This is a great opportunity for Cobolli, who already has a win to his name this week after beating Tomas Machac 6-1, 6-4 on Monday.
Choice: Cobolli in 3
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