Paris Masters 2024 Day 2: Men's Singles & Doubles predictions ft. Karen Khachanov vs Pablo Carreno Busta
The 2024 Paris Masters kicked off with an exciting opening day, setting the stage for another thrilling round of action.
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Ugo Humbert advanced through their openers, while Tommy Paul was the day’s biggest casualty, falling to local qualifier Adrian Mannarino in straight sets. Alexander Bublik, Tallon Griekspoor, Francisco Cerundolo, and Nicolas Jarry were among the other big names to make it through their openers.
Day 2 will feature the remaining first-round singles matches, along with a handful of second-round encounters starring Carlos Alcaraz, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev, and Casper Ruud. Ben Shelton, Arthur Fils, Matteo Berrettini, and Frances Tiafoe, meanwhile, are set to make their tournament debut this year.
Fans will also be treated to doubles action, with the third seeds Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden slated to take on Alexander Zverev and Marcelo Melo.
On that note, here’s a closer look at predictions for some of these highly anticipated Day 2 clashes at the 2024 Paris Masters.
#3 Rohan Bopanna & Matthew Ebden vs Alexander Zverev & Marcelo Melo
Third seeds Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden are set for an exciting second-round doubles showdown against Alexander Zverev and Marcelo Melo.
Bopanna and Ebden have had a successful season as a duo, capturing titles at the Australian Open and Miami Open, along with a finals appearance at the Adelaide International. They also reached the semifinals of the French Open but have struggled with consistency in recent tournaments. Their last appearance was at the Erste Bank Open, where they narrowly lost their second-round match to Neal Skupski and Michael Venus.
Zverev and Melo, in contrast, have played just five tournaments together this season. Their best result so far is a runner-up finish in Monte-Carlo, where they were defeated despite winning the first set. They have not advanced past the second round in any other event this year. Melo, however, has claimed one title so far this year in Stuttgart alongside fellow Brazilian Rafael Matos.
Bopanna and Ebden appear to have the upper hand heading into this clash thanks to their much stronger season record and proven partnership. They defeated Zverev and partner Robin Haase just last week in Vienna, adding to their confidence. The faster courts in Paris should also play to the Indo-Australian duo’s strengths, enhancing their powerful serves and skilled net play.
Pick: Bopanna and Ebden to win in three sets.
#2 Richard Gasquet vs Zizou Bergs
Veteran Richard Gasquet, in the twilight of his career, has faced a challenging season on the ATP Tour this year, securing just three wins out of 15 matches. Those victories came in Qatar, Estoril, and at the French Open. While he has found more success on the Challenger Tour, with a title and a finals appearance, his recent form has been concerning.
Gasquet has not qualified for even one main draw in the second half of the season, falling in the qualifiers more often than not. His most recent outings include a second-round qualifying loss to Marton Fucsovics in Vienna last week and an opening-round defeat to Tomas Martin Etcheverry at the European Open the week before.
Zizou Bergs, in contrast, has had a relatively decent season, entering Paris with a 14-16 record. His notable performances include reaching the quarterfinals at the European Open and a third-round finish at the French Open. Like Gasquet, Bergs has also enjoyed success on the Challenger circuit, where he captured one title and made another finals appearance.
Bergs lost in the second round of Paris qualifiers to Juncheng Shang in three sets yesterday but received a main draw spot as a lucky loser after Flavio Cobolli withdrew.
Heading into their matchup, Bergs is favored due to his superior indoor form, especially recently. While Gasquet will have the advantage of the home crowd’s support, the younger Bergs is poised to leverage his current momentum. Fans can anticipate a compelling showdown of youth versus experience, with Bergs likely to come out on top without much fuss.
Pick: Bergs in straight sets.
#3 Karen Khachanov vs Pablo Carreno Busta
Karen Khachanov arrives at the Paris Masters in top form, having won eight of his last nine matches on the indoor hard courts. He recently claimed the Almaty Open title, his second of the season following his win in Qatar earlier this year. He also made the finals of the Erste Bank Open last week, where he fell to Jack Draper in straight sets. With a solid 33-21 match record this season, Khachanov has found almost all of his success this year on hard courts.
Pablo Carreno Busta, on the other hand, missed a significant portion of the season due to elbow surgery. He returned to action at the French Open but lost in the first round to Mariano Navone. His first win of the season came in Montreal, followed by a semifinal run in Winston-Salem, his best result so far. Carreno Busta, however, has since struggled, currently on a four-match losing streak. His last loss came in the first round of qualifying at the Erste Bank Open last week.
The pair have met 9 times on tour before this encounter, with the Russian leading 6-3 in their head-to-head. He's won their last four encounters and leads hold the edge on the hardcourts with 5 wins compared to Carreno Busta's 1.
Khachanov enters this contest as the favorite. His form heading into Paris has been far superior to the Spaniards who have struggled for both form and consistency recently. Khachanov's blistering indoor game could prove too much for Busta who enjoys a little less pace of the ball.
Their past record also tilts the balance in the Russian's favor who look poised to make another deep run in Paris this week, a venue that he has fond memories of.
Pick: Khachanov in straight sets.