There was no shortage of entertaining second-round action on day three at the Paris Masters in Bercy, with the race to claim the final two spots at the ATP Finals and the battle for the year-end #1 ranking claiming the headlines. And with the round of 16 set to be completed on day four, there should once again be plenty of exiting tennis. But who will book their place in the quarterfinals?
Paris Masters Day Four Predictions
Gael Monfils vs Radu Albot
Head-to-head: first meeting
Gael Monfils will hope to keep his slim chances of qualifying for the ATP Finals alive when he takes on Moldova’s Radu Albot. The Frenchman impressed in his opener at the Paris Masters, beating his countryman Benoit Paire in straight-sets to continue his fine run of form. But Albot too has looked sharp so far in Bercy. Albot, who earlier this season won the first title of his career in Delray Beach, began his campaign with a comprehensive 6-2 6-3 win over Nikoloz Basilashvili and backed that up by beating Andreas Seppi 7-6 7-6.
But he may struggle against the power and athleticism of Monfils. The conditions in Bercy are almost perfect for ‘La Monf’, who has the time to wind up his big groundstrokes from the baseline, whilst also making himself extremely hard to hit through. Albot is also a fine mover, so long rallies seem likely to be the order of the day. But he does not possess the sort of weaponry that Monfils can call upon and his serve is a weakness that Monfils should have the quality to exploit.
Prediction: Monfils in 2
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Grigor Dimitrov vs Dominic Thiem
Head-to-head: Dimitrov 2-2 Thiem
Dominic Thiem had to be at his very best to overcome Milos Raonic in his opener at the Paris Masters. The Canadian threw everything he had at Thiem, but the French Open finalist ultimately proved equal to Raonic’s best. Indeed, the Austrian, who has won hard-court titles in Indian Wells, Beijing and Vienna in 2019, perhaps deserves more credit than he has received for his achievements on the surface this season. Grigor Dimitrov, meanwhile, has made a fine start in Bercy, impressing in wins over the in-form Ugo Humbert and 12th seed David Goffin. But it is hard to see him overcoming the power and accuracy of Thiem, whose game is arguably better-suited to the relatively slow conditions in the French capital.
Prediction: Thiem in 3
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Alex De Minaur vs Stefanos Tsitsipas
Head-to-head: Tsitsipas 4-1 De Minaur
Both Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alex De Minaur are enjoying excellent ends to their seasons. The Australian particularly so. Since the US Open, he has won the Chengdu Open and reached the final at the Swiss Indoors and he has carried that good form into the Paris Masters. In his opener, he proved far too strong for Laslo Djere, hammering the Serbian 6-1 6-4, and he then beat Roberto Bautista Agut in two tiebreaks to reach the third round.
Tsitsipas, who has reached the semifinals or better at his last three tournaments, received a first-round bye, beginning his Paris Masters campaign with a 7-6 6-3 win over Taylor Fritz in the second round as a result. He may well feel confident about his chances of progressing further in Bercy, having beaten De Minaur in their two previous meetings on tour, both of which came on indoor hard courts. His greater ability to dictate proceedings from the baseline should once again prove the difference.
Prediction: Tsitsipas in 3
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Novak Djokovic vs Kyle Edmund
Head-to-head: Djokovic 4-1 Edmund
Kyle Edmund has at long last ended his long slump. The Briton, who currently finds himself ranked 75th in the world, down 61 places from his career-high of #14, beat Ricardas Berankis in the first round to claim his first win since the Rogers Cup. He then ousted 14th seed Diego Schwartzman in straight-sets to end the Argentine’s slim hopes of London qualification. Those wins have earned him a shot at four-time champion and top seed Novak Djokovic.
The great Serbian made an indifferent start to his Paris Masters campaign this year, but was ultimately able to get across the line against the lucky loser Corentin Moutet in straight-sets. He will, however, need to make a sharp improvement against Edmund if he wishes to prolong the battle for the year-end #1 ranking. But Djokovic is a master at playing within himself and still coming through unscathed. Edmund may cause him some problems, but expect the Briton’s revival to end at Djokovic’s hands.
Prediction: Djokovic in 2
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