After an upset-filled day two at the Paris Masters in Bercy, which saw recent Cincinnati and Shanghai champion Daniil Medvedev and defending champion Karen Khachanov fall to early defeats, the excitement looks set to continue on day three. A host of star names are ready to join the fray and the first skirmishes of the battle for year-end world #1 will be fought with both Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal in action. As ever, we here at LWOT are offering our prediction for all 12 matches, including Nadal’s clash with Adrian Mannarino and the meeting of the young guns Stefanos Tsitsipas and Taylor Fritz. But who will book their place in the third round?
Paris Masters Day Three Predictions
Denis Shapovalov vs Fabio Fognini
Head-to-head: Shapovalov 1-0 Fognini
After a season of mixed results, Denis Shapovalov will surely be desperate to generate some momentum ahead of the NextGen Finals in Milan. The Canadian recently won the first-title of his career at the Stockholm Open, but followed that with a first-round loss in Vienna. In his Bercy opener, he advanced past Gilles Simon when the Frenchman was forced to retire after only four games. That was not perhaps ideal preparation for his clash with Fabio Fognini, although he will at least be fresh.
The Italian, who won the biggest title of his career earlier this season at the Monte Carlo Masters, has had a fine year, but his London hopes are waning fast after back-to-back second-round defeats in Stockholm and Vienna. And the nature of those defeats, which were both rather one-sided, are surely a cause for concern for Fognini. Make no mistake, at his best he can be devastatingly effective. But he appears to have mentally checked out of this season and Shapovalov might well be the latest to take advantage.
Prediction: Shapovalov in 2
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John Isner vs Cristian Garin
Head-to-head: Garin 1-0 Isner
At first glance, 2019 seems to have been a rather disappointing year for John Isner. But that is perhaps a reflection of the high standards he has set over the past decade, rather than his actual year. Although he has not hit the heights of 2018, he did reach the final at the Miami Open and remains firmly ensconced in the top 20 at world #17. And he may well have a good chance of putting together a deep run at the Paris Masters, where he has played some fine tennis in the past and was runner-up in 2016.
Cristian Garin, meanwhile, has enjoyed a breakthrough season. The Chilean’s biggest successes have come on the clay, on which he has won two titles, but he has also had some good results on hard courts and dismissed Pablo Cuevas in the first round in Paris. In fact, he also beat Isner handily in Montreal. But the American was then working his way back from injury and in the veritable serving paradise at the Paris Masters, he should feel confident about his chances of avenging that defeat.
Prediction: Isner in 2
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Gael Monfils vs Benoit Paire
Head-to-head: Paire 1-0 Monfils
This one should be entertaining. Though neither Gael Monfils nor Benoit Paire have truly lived up to their potential, both are wonderfully gifted players and showmen extraordinaire. Both have also, to their credit, enjoyed productive 2019 seasons, particularly Paire, who has returned to the world’s top 30 and won two titles. In the first round in Bercy, the man from Avignon proved too strong for Damir Dzumhur, scoring a 7-5 6-4 win over the Bosnian.
Monfils has, as ever, had to struggle with his fair share of injury problems. But there have been some fine performances from the world #13, not least in Rotterdam where he won the title and at the US Open where he reached the quarterfinals. But although he reached back-to-back Paris Masters finals in 2009 and 2010, his record in Bercy in recent years does leave much to be desired. Indeed, this is his first appearance at the tournament since 2015. He should, however, find the conditions suit him well.
Prediction: Monfils in 3
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Novak Djokovic vs Corentin Moutet
Head-to-head: first meeting
Such have been the standards set by Djokovic that his 2019 season feels curiously close to being one of poor returns. That is in spite of the great Serbian winning two Grand Slams at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, as well as two further titles at the Madrid Open and in Tokyo. He also remains in the hunt for the year-end #1 ranking, although he will relinquish his hold on the top spot to Nadal at the start of next, regardless of his performance at the Paris Masters.
Surely particularly disappointing to Djokovic was the shoulder injury that curtailed his US Open title defence. But away from the Slams, his usual zeal has been missing, leading to costly defeats during the Sunshine Double and in Cincinnati and Shanghai. Corentin Moutet, meanwhile, took full advantage of his reprieve as a lucky loser by beating Djokovic’s compatriot Dusan Lajovic in the first round. But Djokovic, one assumes, will not take the loss of his #1 ranking lightly and Moutet will likely pay the price.
Prediction: Djokovic in 2
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