Zverev Falls to Musetti as New World No. 1 Loses Paris Opener
The German admitted his play was poor, while Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev also exited the tournament.
By Jonathan Hoffmann ·
Alexander Zverev lost his first match as the world's top-ranked tennis player on Wednesday, falling 7-6 (5), 6-2 to Lorenzo Musetti in the second round of the Paris Masters.
The German, who secured the No. 1 ranking on Monday after winning the French Open and U.S. Open earlier in the year, described his performance bluntly in a post-match interview. "Yeah, I was bad. It's quite simple," Zverev said. "This was not a very good match for me, I think maybe one of the worst in the last couple of months."
Musetti dominated the rally count, recording 29 winners against Zverev's 25 while committing only 12 unforced errors compared to the German's 21. The Italian clinched the match with an ace in a contest that Zverev felt did not reflect his abilities on the fast court.
Record seven-time champion Novak Djokovic also left the tournament on Wednesday. The 10th seed lost 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 to Australian qualifier Rinky Hijikata. Djokovic appeared in control until the second set, where he lost three consecutive games from a 3-3 tie. He broke serve in the seventh game of the final set and lost the match when his backhand landed wide.
The loss impacts Djokovic's season finale. He needed to reach the semifinals to maintain a chance of qualifying for the ATP Finals in Turin. Only two spots remain for the event scheduled for Nov. 15-22.
Other high seeds suffered upsets during the day's play. Fourth-seeded Daniil Medvedev lost 6-4, 6-4 to Ignacio Buse. Seventh-seeded Frances Tiafoe wasted four match points before losing 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (9) to Quentin Halys.
Tiafoe's elimination qualified Arthur Fils for the ATP Finals, making him the first Frenchman to reach the event since Gael Monfils in 2016.
