Four unseeded players remain in Paris, including Lorenzo Sonego, who will battle Daniil Medvedev for a spot in the quarterfinals on Thursday. The third round also features a showdown between Alex de Minaur and Karen Khachanov.
(10) Karen Khachanov vs. (6) Alex de Minaur
De Minaur and Khachanov will face each other for the fourth time in their careers when they clash in the third round of the Rolex Paris Masters on Thursday. Khachanov leads the head-to-head series 2-1, having last won on Vienna’s indoor hard courts in 2024. The fourteenth-ranked Russian is now playing in what must be considered his favorite tournament. He is 18-7 lifetime in Paris with a title in 2018, a quarterfinal in 2023 and a semifinal last fall. So far this week he has beaten qualifier Ethan Quinn and Basel champion Joao Fonseca.
De Minaur followed up a first-round bye with a 7-6(8), 4-6, 6-3 win over Gabriel Diallo. The sixth-ranked Australian is 13-3 in his last 16 matches and is on the verge of clinching a spot in Turin. He has reached at least the quarterfinals of four consecutive tournaments and six of his last seven. Expect that streak to continue for De Minaur, but against Khachanov it won’t be easy given the Parisian setting.
Choice: De Minaur in 3
Lorenzo Sonego vs. (11) Daniil Medvedev
The dominoes appear to be falling for Medvedev, who needs the Paris trophy to give himself any chance of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals. Carlos Alcaraz has already been eliminated and expected third-round opponent Lorenzo Musetti is also gone, so the 29-year-old Russian is just one Jannik Sinner exit away from a very realistic title fight. A resurgent Medvedev reached the semi-finals in Shanghai, captured the title in Almaty and defeated Basel semi-finalist Jaume Munar 6-1, 6-3 before receiving a walkover from Grigor Dimitrov.
Next up for the world number 13 is Sonego, who is defeated 3-0 in the head-to-head series. The 45th-ranked Italian has won just one set against Medvedev. Sonego’s win over compatriot Lorenzo Musetti on Wednesday ended a 17-match losing streak against top-10 opponents and was his first such win since May 2023. Beating Medvedev wouldn’t officially qualify as such, but let’s be honest: beating an in-form Medvedev in Paris would be a top-10 win.
Choice: Medvedev in 2
#Tennis #picks #Paris #Minaur #Khachanov #Medvedev #Sonego