The Paris-Bercy draw rewards Alcaraz and punishes Djokovic

He Masters 1000 ATP Paris-Bercy means returning to the path of Carlos Alcarazafter failing to meet tour goals in China and down in Basel, and Novak Djokovicwho has not competed since he combined his US Open victory with Serbia’s qualification for the Davis Cup Finals.

Inside the French capital, from October 30 to November 5, they will continue their fight for the last number one of the year. At this point, with the ATP Finals in Turin also pending, with a maximum point limit of 2,500 between both events, the Balkans will start with an advantage of 500 over the Spaniard.

The Paris-Bercy draw, held this Friday afternoon, a day before Alcaraz began his training at the competition’s headquarters, awarded Alcaraz and punished Djokovic, taking into account the state of form of rivals that may be encountered. And always from the premise that it is a very high level of competition, with people looking to position themselves to enter the ATP Finals.

There was an early danger, the American ‘gunboat’ Ben Sheltonrecent champion in Tokyo, and fell on the side of Novak Djokovicwho will face the American who is already in the round of 16, his second fight, once he begins the best clash between his compatriots Miomir Kecmanovic and the Argentine Tomas Martín Etcheverry.

Although Shelton has a dangerous debut against unpredictable Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich. And then, even before ‘Nole’, he should get rid of Griekspoor or Eubanks.

In the quarterfinals Djokovic will face the reigning champion of the tournament and his executioner in the 2022 final, the Dane Holger Runetaking his tune back from the hands of his new coach Boris Becker.

In the semifinals, another heavyweight from this end of the campaign, more indoor and hard court, the Italian Jannik Sinnerone of those enemies you always want to avoid Carlos Alcaraz. They will not meet until a hypothetical final, which in principle corresponds, according to the world order, to a Djokovic-Alcaraz.

The Spaniard, who suffered an abdominal injury in losing 3-6, 6-6 to runes In the quarterfinals of 2022, he will open against the Frenchman Alexandre Muller or the british Cameron Norrie, which dropped in the ranking and that is why it is not among the sixteen seeds. Hard, but not much and the Murcian has a proposal made.

Alcaraz he will meet the Russian in the round of 16 Karen Khachanov, dangerous but healing sensations after stopping due to injury. And it is always better for the Murcian not to bump into this tie with Tommy Paul, a hypothetical opponent of Russian Andrey Rublev.

In the quarterfinals, a match between the El Palmar tennis player and the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipasthat he was with recently, or the German Alexander Zverevis still irregular despite the fact that he is recovering to part of the level before his serious ankle injury at Roland Garros 2022.

In ‘semies’, a Alcaraz-Daniil Medvedev. The Russian, champion in 2021, will have work to do in the second, against Grigor Dimitrov or Lorenzo Musetti. In the second round, Frances Tiafoe and in the quarterfinals, Hubert Hurkacz or Sebastian Korda, who face each other at the beginning, and even Gael Monfils or Casper Ruud. This is a strong and open section.

The hypothetical Round of 16

Upper part of the painting
Novak Djokovic (Srb/1)-Ben Shelton (USA/15)
​Taylor Fritz (USA/9)-Holger Rune (Din/6)
​Jannik Sinner (Ita/4)-Alex de Minaur (Aus/13)
​Tommy Paul (USA/12)-Andrey Rublev (Rus/5)
The lower part of the painting
​Casper Ruud (Nor/8)-Hubert Hurkacz (Pol/11)
​Frances Tiafoe (USA/14)-Daniil Medvedev (Rus/3)
Stefanos Tsitsipas (Gre/7)-Alexander Zverev (Ale/10)
​Karen Khachanov (Rus/16)-Carlos Alcaraz (Esp/2)