The Spanish Rafael Nadal, who with his victory assured to finish 2017 as number 1 in the world, the Argentine Juan Martín Del Potro and the Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas qualified for the round of 16 at the Masters 1000 tournament in Paris-Bercy.
Nadal, 31, beat South Korean Chung-Hyeon 7-5, 6-3. Thanks to this, the Mallorcan will no longer be able to be reached in the remainder of the year by the number 2 of the ATP, the Swiss Roger Federer, who does not participate in the French capital. This is the fourth time that Nadal has finished the year as world number 1, after 2008, 2010 and 2013.
It is an award for the sports rebirth of the Spanish star, after a few years marked by injuries. So far in 2017 he has won six tournaments so far, including his 10th Roland Garros and his third US Open.
In Bercy, Nadal will meet in the round of 16 against the Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas (world number 36), who beat another Spaniard, Albert Ramos (24th), with great difficulties, 6-7 (5/7), 7- 6 (7/1) and 6-2.
Argentine Juan Martín Del Potro (17th ATP), champion two weeks ago in Stockholm and runner-up on Sunday in Basel, also qualified for the round of 16. The ‘Torre de Tandil’ sealed its ticket with a double 6-2 over the Portuguese Joao Sousa.
Del Potro will have as his next rival the Dutch Robin Haase (43rd in the ranking), who gave the surprise of the day by knocking down the German Alexander Zverev, fourth world player, 3-6, 6-2 and 6-2.
Zverev, 20, has won five tournaments this season, including two Masters 1000s, in Rome and Montreal.
Worse luck was the Argentine Diego Schwartzman (No. 25 in the world), who fired the Parisian tournament by falling this Wednesday in the second round against the American John Isner (14th) 7-6 (7/2), 6-7 (11 / 13), 6-3.
Among the Spaniards, in addition to Nadal, Fernando Verdasco (No. 39) also qualified for the eighth, who beat South African Kevin Anderson (5-7, 6-4, 7-5). The Madrid tennis player will face Austrian Dominic Thiem in the next stage.
In contrast, fellow Spaniard Feliciano López was eliminated by local Lucas Pouille, recent champion in Vienna, 6-3 and 6-4.
The Masters 1000 in Paris is held on hard and covered surfaces and distributes more than 4,200,000 euros in prizes.
– Paris-Bercy Masters 1000 Tournament
– Singles – Second round:
Rafael Nadal (ESP / N.1) defeated Hyeon Chung (KOR) 7-5, 6-3
Pablo Cuevas (URU) to Albert Ramos (ESP / N.15) 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/1), 6-2
Robin Haase (NED) bt Alexander Zverev (GER / N.4) 3-6, 6-2, 6-2
Juan Martín Del Potro (ARG / N.13) to João Sousa (POR) 6-2, 6-2
John Isner (USA / N.9) to Diego Schwartzman (ARG) 7-6 (7/2), 6-7 (11/13), 6-3
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) to Kevin Anderson (RSA / N.12) 5-7, 6-4, 7-5
Lucas Pouille (FRA / N.17) to Feliciano López (ESP) 6-3, 6-4. AFP