Jannik Sinner Marches Into Paris Masters Quarters, Alexander Bublik Downs Taylor Fritz

Last Updated:October 31, 2025, 08:51 IST

Jannik Sinner beat Francisco Cerundolo at Paris Masters, aiming for world number one.

Jannik Sinner in action in Paris Masters [AP Photo]

Jannik Sinner comfortably defeated Argentine world number 21 Francisco Cerundolo 7-5, 6-1 in the third round of the Paris Masters on Thursday. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik triumphed over US fourth seed Taylor Fritz in straight sets.

A maiden victory in the French capital would propel Sinner to number one in the world rankings after current leader Carlos Alcaraz was unexpectedly eliminated by Cameron Norrie. The Italian, a four-time Grand Slam champion, has yet to drop a set in the tournament and aims for his fifth title of the season.

“Today I felt the first set was very crucial. Francisco is a very talented player; it’s very difficult to play against him because his level is very high," Sinner said on court. “In the second set, I raised my level, and I’m very happy to be in the quarter-finals here for the first time."

Sinner edged a close first set, which featured four consecutive breaks, by capitalizing on Cerundolo’s serve at 6-5 to take the lead. The 24-year-old then elevated his play in the second set, quickly advancing to a 5-1 lead before securing his spot in the last eight, where he will face US fifth seed Ben Shelton on Friday.

Shelton defeated Russia’s Andrey Rublev 7-6 (8/6), 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals. This victory marked another significant moment for the 23-year-old this season, following his first 1000-level title in Toronto this summer, as he will debut at the season-ending ATP Finals.

“It’s an accumulation of a year’s work, a lot of ups and downs, great results, poor results, and having to bounce back," Shelton said regarding reaching Turin.

Earlier, Bublik downed Fritz 7-6 (7/5), 6-2, setting up a last-eight match against Australian world number six Alex de Minaur. Despite his strong form in the latter half of 2025, Bublik acknowledged it would require a “miracle" for him to win his first Masters title in Paris.

“Tennis is very brutal that way; if you have results, you’re playing your best tennis; if you’re not, you’re down," the 28-year-old said. “I have three matches to go, I have to beat top ten players, maybe Jannik [Sinner] in the final, so that sounds a bit like a miracle."

Bublik’s next opponent, De Minaur, cruised past Russian 10th seed Karen Khachanov 6-2, 6-2, securing his place at next month’s ATP Finals in Turin. Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime reached the quarter-finals, coming from behind for the third time in Paris to defeat German Daniel Altmaier 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

The ninth seed is one spot outside the last ATP Finals berth, currently held by Lorenzo Musetti, who lost on Wednesday to fellow Italian Lorenzo Sonego. If Auger-Aliassime reaches the final in Paris, he could surpass Musetti in the race for the eight-man showpiece in Turin. However, he must first overcome the in-form Valentin Vacherot of Monaco.

The Shanghai Masters champion continued his impressive run by defeating Briton Norrie in straight sets in the opening match on centre court. Reigning champion and third seed Alexander Zverev of Germany will conclude the day’s action when he faces Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

Aakash Biswas

A cricket enthusiast whose dreams of playing for India paved the way for a compelling journey in journalism. With a comprehensive coverage spanning international and domestic cricket across formats, I have had ...Read More

A cricket enthusiast whose dreams of playing for India paved the way for a compelling journey in journalism. With a comprehensive coverage spanning international and domestic cricket across formats, I have had ...

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