Novak Djokovic started his bid for a record-extending seventh Paris Masters title with a fluent show in his first singles match in over six weeks.
Serbia’s Djokovic, who had not performed since a Davis Cup match on 15 September, gained 6-3 6-2 in opposition to Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
The 24-time main champion will face Tallon Griekspoor within the final 16.
Third seed Daniil Medvedev appeared to lift his center finger to the gang after he misplaced to Grigor Dimitrov.
Medvedev, 27, reacted to being booed by the French followers having finally buckled in opposition to the Bulgarian, who took his seventh match level to clinch a 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-2) win.
The Russian’s defeat means the 2 main seeds behind Djokovic are already out, with Spanish second seed Carlos Alcaraz struggling a shock exit in opposition to Forty fifth-ranked Roman Safiullin on Tuesday.
Djokovic, 36, additional boosted his probabilities of ending above Alcaraz because the year-end primary along with his profitable return to the tour.
Having not performed a tour-level singles match since lifting the US Open title on 10 September, Djokovic appeared sharp all through in opposition to world quantity 31 Etcheverry.
Djokovic, displaying his standard exact hitting and athleticism, gained three of seven break factors and saved the one one he confronted.
Dimitrov avenges Medvedev defeat, whereas Tsitsipas progresses
Six days in the past in Vienna, former world quantity three Dimitrov was crushed by Medvedev having additionally led by a set.
This time the 32-year-old thwarted one other comeback from the 2021 US Open champion in a dominant deciding tie-break.
Greek seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas moved a step nearer to securing his place on the season-ending ATP Finals with a formidable win over Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Serving nicely below strain to save lots of six of seven break factors, 25-year-old Tsitsipas secured a 6-3 7-6 (7-4) success to achieve the final 16.
He additionally saved 4 set factors as Auger-Aliassime appeared heading in the right direction to drive a decider, coming by way of to earn a win which may show essential in serving to him qualify for the Finals in Turin.
Tsitsipas will subsequent play Germany’s Alexander Zverev, who it was reported on Tuesday has been charged with assaulting an ex-girlfriend, or France’s Ugo Humbert.
Australia’s Alex de Minaur progressed by beating Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic 4-6 6-4 6-4 in what was the two hundredth win of his profession.
The 24-year-old, who beat Britain’s Andy Murray within the earlier spherical, is the primary man born in 1999 or later to achieve the landmark.
Within the doubles, Britain’s Jamie Murray noticed his hopes of reaching the season-ending occasion hampered by a second-round defeat in Paris.
Murray, 37, and New Zealand’s Michael Venus, who’re ninth within the race with the highest eight qualifying for Turin, misplaced 6-4 6-3 to Mexico’s Santiago Gonzalez and France’s Edouard Roger-Vasselin.
In the meantime, Britain’s world quantity three Neal Skupski is searching for a brand new associate for the 2024 season after Dutchman Wesley Koolhof ended their profitable partnership.
The pair gained the Wimbledon title earlier this 12 months and will nonetheless end the season because the world’s finest pair, however Koolhof has determined to staff up once more along with his former associate Nikola Mektic of Croatia.