TENNIS – LORENZO Musetti spoiled Alexander Zverev’s first match as world number one by toppling him in the second round of the Paris Masters yesterday, while Rinky Hijikata ended Novak Djokovic’s hopes of qualifying for the ATP Finals.
The 29-year-old Zverev, who climbed to number one on Monday, suffered a surprise 7-6(5) 6-2 defeat just days after losing to Australia’s Alex de Minaur in the Vienna Open semi-finals.
Musetti, a former world number five, seized the initiative by winning six of the final seven points of the opening-set tiebreak before taking command of the second set.
The 24-year-old Italian broke Zverev for a 2-1 lead and struck again to move 5-2 ahead on his way to victory.
World number 24 Musetti, a former French Open and Wimbledon semi-finalist, fired 29 winners and eight aces during the contest to improve his head-to-head record against Zverev to 4-2. The win continued a resurgence for Musetti, who has been hampered by injuries throughout the 2026 season.
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