Paris Masters 2021: Jannik Sinner vs Carlos Alcaraz preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (8) Jannik Sinner vs Carlos Alcaraz
Date: 3 November 2021
Tournament: Rolex Paris Masters 2021
Round: Second round (Round of 32)
Venue: Paris, France
Category: Masters 1000
Surface: Indoor hardcourt
Prize money: €2,603,700
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Jannik Sinner vs Carlos Alcaraz preview
Eighth seed Jannik Sinner will take on Carlos Alcaraz in the second round of the 2021 Paris Masters on Wednesday.
Sinner is in the form of his life at the moment, winning 12 of his last 14 matches and picking up titles in Sofia and Antwerp. The Italian, who has won four tour-level titles already this year, made his top-10 debut last week.
After a disappointing loss to Frances Tiafoe in the semifinals in Vienna, Sinner will be hoping to make a deep run in Paris and boost his chances of qualifying for the year-end ATP Finals.
Carlos Alcaraz is also in the midst of a breakthrough season. The Spaniard started the year by becoming the first man born in 2003 to qualify for the main draw of a Grand Slam and six months later, he reached the quarterfinals at the US Open. The Spaniard also won his first tour-level title in Umag this year.
The 18-year-old came into this tournament on the back of a semifinal run in Vienna, where he defeated Andy Murray and Matteo Berrettini. He started his campaign in Paris with a hard-fought 6-7(4), 7-6(2), 7-5 win over local favourite Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
Jannik Sinner vs Carlos Alcaraz head-to-head
The second-round encounter in Paris will be the first match between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Jannik Sinner vs Carlos Alcaraz prediction
Both Sinner and Alcaraz have been touted as the flagbearers of the next generation of men's tennis, making their first professional meeting an intriguing one.
As far as ranking and experience goes, the Italian has the edge over Alcaraz. Sinner's big game is also better suited to quicker surfaces, and he will look to take control of proceedings from the get-go.
Alcaraz is also a powerful baseliner who has begun to excel on hardcourt. He has a solid serve and huge groundstrokes that can be used to stay in points and finish them off in equal measure.
However, the Spaniard's fitness could be called into question, having played a marathon three-setter in his Paris opener. This contest may well be decided by the smallest of margins and the fact that Alcaraz is used to the conditions in Paris may just tilt the scales in his favor.
Prediction: Carlos Alcaraz to win in three sets.