Carlos Alcaraz is through to the Paris Masters quarter-finals without breaking a sweat, literally. The seven-time Grand Slam champion received a walkover into the last eight on Thursday after scheduled opponent Matteo Berrettini withdrew with an elbow injury, handing the Spaniard the easiest route imaginable to Friday’s clash with Taylor Fritz.
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It’s the kind of luck champions occasionally stumble into, though nobody’s celebrating Berrettini’s latest injury nightmare. The 30-year-old Italian has endured a career plagued by physical breakdowns, and his withdrawal continued a depressing pattern that saw him forced to retire mid-match at this year’s French Open quarter-final when his hip gave out against Matteo Arnaldi.
“Unfortunately, the pain in my arm that I’ve been putting up with for the past few days means I won’t be able to take to the court tonight,” Berrettini posted on social media.
For Alcaraz, the walkover means he’s reached the Paris quarter-finals having played just one match, a straight-sets demolition of Alex Michelsen after receiving a first-round bye as a top-eight seed. That’s minimal mileage heading into Friday’s showdown with Fritz, who earned his spot the hard way with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over French sixth seed Arthur Fils.
Alcaraz chasing elusive Paris title
The Spaniard has never won the Paris Masters, and with world number one Alexander Zverev crashing out Wednesday to Lorenzo Musetti, Alcaraz is now the top-ranked player remaining in the draw. That makes him the favourite to claim silverware he’s never lifted, though Fritz, still hunting an ATP Finals berth, won’t be handing it over without a scrap.
Berrettini’s withdrawal was the latest twist in a tournament that’s chewed through top seeds like a meat grinder. Zverev gone. Daniil Medvedev gone. Frances Tiafoe gone. The carnage has opened pathways nobody anticipated when the draw was released.
Shelton survives, Hijikata’s dream run continues
American third seed Ben Shelton avoided joining the exodus by grinding past France’s Arthur Rinderknech 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7/5) in a third-set tie-break that demanded every ounce of his mental fortitude. The victory sets up an all-American quarter-final against compatriot Tommy Paul, who dispatched Quentin Halys 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 in the day’s opening centre-court match.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve been on the court, but I’m looking forward to it,” Shelton said of facing Paul for the first time since losing to the world number 14 in Dallas two years ago. “He’s in great form right now. A great player, a great friend.”
Australian qualifier Rinky Hijikata continued his fairy tale run by backing up Tuesday’s stunning victory over 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic with a 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 comeback win against Tomas Martin Etcheverry. The world number 83 is now two wins from the final and proving that Djokovic’s scalp wasn’t a fluke.
Musetti couldn’t replicate his Zverev heroics, falling to Frenchman Luca Van Assche in a gruelling three-set battle that extinguished hopes of a maiden ATP 1000 title. Norwegian Casper Ruud closed Thursday’s action with a comfortable 6-3, 6-3 victory over Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff.
Friday’s schedule opens with Shelton versus Paul before Alcaraz battles Fritz in the night session, followed by Ruud’s clash with Portuguese lucky loser Nuno Borges. The quarters are set. The chaos continues. Paris delivers again.
