Sinner extends indoor streak amid No. 1 pursuit
Jannik Sinner’s commanding win over Francisco Cerundolo keeps his 23-match indoor run alive and sharpens his focus on reclaiming the top ranking, with Ben Shelton waiting in the Paris quarterfinals as physical demands mount.
In the brisk echo of Paris Masters’ indoor courts, Jannik Sinner dispatched Francisco Cerundolo 7-5, 6-1, stretching his unbeaten streak on these surfaces to 23 matches. The victory, laced with precise baseline control, keeps the four-time Grand Slam champion squarely in the hunt for the world No. 1 spot currently held by Carlos Alcaraz. Only a title run here can shift that balance, turning every rally into a high-stakes calculation as the season nears its close.
Sinner preps for Shelton‘s power test
Sinner’s path intensifies with a Friday quarterfinal against Ben Shelton, where the Italian holds a 6-1 head-to-head advantage. The fifth-seeded American advanced by outlasting 12th-seeded Andrey Rublev 7-6 (6), 6-3, securing his first qualification for the ATP Finals in Turin. Shelton’s left-handed serves boomed through the low-bounce arena, forcing Rublev into defensive lobs, but Sinner plans to counter with deep returns and inside-out forehands to disrupt that rhythm.
Chasing a fifth title this year and his 23rd overall, Sinner arrived from a Vienna ATP 500 win marred by cramps, where he fought through physical warnings to claim the trophy. The indoor hard’s swift pace suits his flat groundstrokes, allowing one–two combinations of serve and forehand to pin opponents back, as seen in his second-set dominance over Cerundolo—crosscourt exchanges yielding to down-the-line breaks. Yet recovery looms large, with the season’s toll testing his endurance before this eighth clash with Shelton.
“Hopefully, I can recover physically, which is my main priority,” Sinner said. “Today was a great match and a great performance from my side.”
Vacherot sustains surprise run in Paris
Valentin Vacherot, the 40th-ranked player from Monaco, refused to fade, reaching another Masters quarterfinal by edging Cameron Norrie 7-6 (4), 6-4. His five aces and flawless break-point defense—saving all five—highlighted a serve that thrives under indoor pressure, much like his stunning Shanghai Masters triumph this month. There, the qualifier upset 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in the semifinals before defeating cousin Arthur Rinderknech in the final for his first career title.
Vacherot’s Paris surge includes a second-round rematch win over Rinderknech, setting up his clash with Norrie after the Brit ousted Alcaraz. Transitioning from Shanghai’s outdoor speed to these enclosed courts, he adapts with underspin slices to vary pace, forcing Norrie into errors during extended rallies. Next faces ninth-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime, who rallied from a set deficit to beat Daniel Altmaier 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, keeping his own ATP Finals hopes flickering.
“I never expected it,” Vacherot said. “Good thing that I keep going here, maybe enjoying the matches even more than in Shanghai.”
Upsets fuel tight Finals qualification
Defending champion Alexander Zverev took on Alejandro Davidovich Fokina later Thursday, their baseline fireworks promising volatile shifts on the quick surface. Fourth-seeded Taylor Fritz stumbled 7-6 (5), 6-2 to No. 13 Alexander Bublik, whose drop shots and erratic slices exploited the American’s aggressive returns. Meanwhile, No. 6 Alex De Minaur powered through 6-2, 6-2 against 2018 champion Karen Khachanov, his court coverage turning crosscourt defenses into inside-in winners for a second straight ATP Finals berth.
2020 champion Daniil Medvedev clawed to his 25th Masters quarterfinal, surviving Lorenzo Sonego 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 in a grind of resilient passing shots and tactical backhand slices. De Minaur and Shelton’s qualifications leave one Turin spot open, with Auger-Aliassime needing a Paris final to leapfrog Lorenzo Musetti in the rankings. As Sinner balances physical edges with strategic depth, the draw’s undercurrents hint at deeper runs, where indoor adaptation could crown unexpected heroes before the season slips away.