The Rolex Paris Masters is heating up as it approaches an exciting third round on Thursday, featuring high-stakes matches, notably a clash between Ben Shelton and Andrey Rublev, along with Alejandro Davidovich Fokina facing off against defending champion Alexander Zverev.
In the matchup between fifth-seeded Ben Shelton and the 12th-seeded Andrey Rublev, they prepare to meet for the second time in their careers. Their previous encounter occurred on indoor hard courts, where Shelton triumphed with a score of 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-4 at the Basel final in 2024. Both players are eager for a significant performance this week. Shelton is returning to form after recovering from a shoulder injury sustained at the U.S. Open, managing a record of 2-2 since his comeback, including a recent victory over Flavio Cobolli. On the other hand, Rublev has struggled, losing four matches since the U.S. Open before finally breaking his losing streak in Paris with wins against Jake Fearnley and Learner Tien. As the world No. 17 faces a formidable opponent in Shelton, who seems to be back on track, the American may very well advance to the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, the matchup between Alexander Zverev and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina promises to be just as thrilling. Zverev, the defending champion, is seeking to build on his success, while Davidovich Fokina is still in pursuit of his first ATP title after suffering losses in previous finals. Zverev leads the head-to-head series at 5-1, but recent matches have shown Davidovich Fokina can challenge him, having taken a match at the 2023 Toronto Masters. Zverev narrowly edged out Camilo Ugo Carabelli in a previous round, demonstrating some vulnerabilities despite being a solid favorite. Conversely, Davidovich Fokina, fresh off an energetic performance against Arthur Cazaux, will need to manage his stamina against a tough opponent in Zverev, who also enters the match with a rigorous recent schedule.
With both matchups promising high drama, tennis fans eagerly anticipate the outcomes, as key victories could redefine the trajectories of these players heading into the latter stages of the tournament.