In a dramatic and distressing scene at the Paris Masters, sixth seed Andrey Rublev injured his knee after repeatedly smashing his racket during a second-round match against Francisco Cerundolo. Rublev’s frustration boiled over as he lost the match in two tense tiebreaks, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), extending the encounter to over two hours.
The incident occurred early in the second set after Rublev failed to clear the net on a return. In a moment of frustration, he struck his racket against his left knee multiple times, resulting in visible injuries. This outburst is not new for Rublev, who previously shattered his racket on the court earlier this year.
Currently, Rublev occupies the eighth and final spot for the ATP Finals, but his position remains precarious, with several competitors potentially poised to overtake him this week. Meanwhile, Taylor Fritz has secured his place in the season-ending tournament, marking his second qualification in three years. He will join Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, and Daniil Medvedev in Turin, Italy, where the Finals will take place from November 10-17.
Despite withdrawing from the event due to illness, Sinner has guaranteed his finish as the world No. 1 for the year. His exit follows that of seven-time champion Novak Djokovic.
In other matches, French player Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard showcased an impressive performance, firing 28 aces to defeat Frances Tiafoe with scores of 6-7 (5), 7-6 (4), 6-3. Despite committing 13 double faults, Mpetshi Perricard managed to secure a break point, marking his first victory at a Masters 1000 event. Having started the year ranked 200th, he recently reached a career-high ranking of No. 31 and has tallied an impressive 512 aces in just 27 matches this season. He will face either Karen Khachanov or Christopher O’Connell in the next round.
Local talent Arthur Fils also advanced, defeating Croatian Marin Cilic 7-6 (5), 6-4. Fils will next compete against Jan-Lennard Struff, who secured a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Lorenzo Musetti.
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