Paris Masters 2023: Men's singles draw analysis, preview and prediction ft. potential Novak Djokovic-Ben Shelton 3R
The men's singles draw for the 2023 Paris Masters has been released and we are in for some high-quality tennis action in the French capital.
Holger Rune could have a very difficult time defending his title given his form lately and the level of other players present. Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev are the top three seeds at the Paris Masters and each of them can challenge for the title.
The likes of Andrey Rublev, Jannik Sinner, Taylor Fritz and Hubert Hurkacz are also in the running. On that note, let's look at how the draw for this year's Paris Masters could unfold.
First Quarter: Novak Djokovic will aim to win ninth title at Paris Masters
Seeded Players: (1) Novak Djokovic, (6) Holger Rune, (9) Taylor Fritz, (15) Ben Shelton.
Expected Quarterfinal: Novak Djokovic vs Taylor Fritz.
Dark Horse: Stan Wawrinka.
Analysis: Top seed Novak Djokovic will take on either compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic or Tomas Etcheverry in the second round and should be able to defeat either player.
The Serb will most likely take on 15th seed Ben Shelton in the third round in what would be a rematch of their 2023 US Open semifinal. He should be able to beat the American and reach the quarterfinal without much trouble.
The other side of this quarter has defending champion Holger Rune and ninth seed Taylor Fritz. While the likes of Stan Wawrinka and Arthur Fils should not be written off, it could come down to Rune and Fritz for a place in the quarterfinal of the Paris Masters.
While the Dane has shown some promise at the Swiss Indoors in Basel under the guidance of new coach Boris Becker, Fritz looks in relatively better form and should manage to come out on top.
Djokovic has won all of his previous eight fixtures against the American and we could see the Serb beat him once again to reach the semifinal of the Paris Masters.
Quarterfinal Prediction: Novak Djokovic def. Taylor Fritz.
Second Quarter: Jannik Sinner and Andrey Rublev could lock horns in the quarterfinal
Seeded Players: (4) Jannik Sinner, (5) Andrey Rublev, (12) Tommy Paul, (13) Alex de Minaur.
Expected Quarterfinal: Jannik Sinner vs Andrey Rublev.
Dark Horse: Andy Murray.
Analysis: Fourth seed Jannik Sinner will take on either Mackenzie McDonald or a qualifier in the second round and should not have much trouble reaching the third round where 13th seed Alex de Minaur could be his opponent, even though Andy Murray should not be written off.
The Italian and the Aussie locked horns in the final of the 2023 Canadian Open and could have an interesting fixture in Paris, with the former coming out on top to reach the quarterfinal.
The other side of this draw has fifth seed Andrey Rublev, who can challenge for the title. The Russian's current run of form should see him reach the third round where 12th seed Tommy Paul could be his opponent.
Rublev recently beat Paul in Shanghai and we could see him register another win over the American to reach the quarterfinal in Paris.
Sinner leads 3-2 in the head-to-head against Rublev and while the Italian could make things really difficult, the Russian might just about manage to pip him to a place in the semifinal of the Paris Masters.
Quarterfinal Prediction: Andrey Rublev def. Jannik Sinner.
Third Quarter: Daniil Medvedev, Frances Tiafoe, Casper Ruud, Hubert Hurkacz make for an interesting draw
Seeded Players: (3) Daniil Medvedev, (8) Casper Ruud, (11) Hubert Hurkacz, (14) Frances Tiafoe.
Expected Quarterfinal: Daniil Medvedev vs Hubert Hurkacz.
Analysis: Third seed Daniil Medvedev is in this quarter and he could face a tough second-round encounter against either Grigor Dimitrov or Lorenzo Musetti. Both players can give the Russian a run for his money, but he should manage to beat either of them and reach the third round, where he will most likely take on Frances Tiafoe.
Medvedev could face another tough challenge from the American but his hard-court prowess should see him come out on top and reach the quarterfinal.
The other half of this quarter seems tightly contested with Casper Ruud, Hubert Hurkacz, Gael Monfils, Sebastian Korda and Francisco Cerundolo. However, it could come down to a match between Ruud and Hurkacz for a place in the quarterfinal.
The Pole's current run of form along with that of the Norwegian's should see him get the win and reach the last eight of the Paris Masters.
Medvedev and Hurkacz could lock horns there, and the former should manage to come out on top and book his place in the semifinal.
Quarterfinal Prediction: Daniil Medvedev def. Hubert Hurkacz.
Fourth Quarter: Carlos Alcaraz could be challenged by Stefanos Tsitsipas and/or Alexander Zverev
Seeded Players: (2) Carlos Alcaraz, (7) Stefanos Tsitsipas, (10) Alexander Zverev, (16) Karen Khachanov.
Expected Quarterfinal: Carlos Alcaraz vs Alexander Zverev.
Dark Horse: Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Analysis: Second seed Carlos Alcaraz will be eager to have a good run in Paris after his fourth-round exit from the Shanghai Masters. The Spaniard's potential opponents include Cameron Norrie and 16th seed Karen Khachanov, but he should be able to make it to the quarterfinal.
The other half of this quarter has seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and tenth seed Alexander Zverev. While Felix Auger-Aliassime should not be written off, it will most likely come down to the Greek and the German for a place in the last eight.
Zverev looks in much better form than he was at the start of the year and he should be able to beat Tsitsipas to reach the quarterfinal of the Paris Masters.
Alcaraz made easy work of Zverev when the two faced in the last eight of the 2023 US Open and while we may not see a one-sided match, there is a good chance of the Spaniard coming out on top and reaching the semifinal of the Paris Masters.
Quarterfinal Prediction: Carlos Alcaraz def. Alexander Zverev.
Semifinal Predictions
Novak Djokovic and Andrey Rublev will most likely lock horns in the first semifinal and the former will be a heavy favorite to win. While the Russian has looked in good nick lately, the Serb has mostly got the better of him in the past and there's a good chance we could see the same at the Paris Masters next week.
Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev are expected to compete in the second semifinal fixture and we could witness a thrilling contest. While Medvedev won the last time these two faced each other in the 2023 US Open semifinal, the Spaniard should be able to outlast the Russian if he is at his fittest.
Predicted Final: Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz.
Final Prediction
The final for this season's Paris Masters could be the fifth meeting between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz. The two had a few exciting encounters in the title clashes of Wimbledon and the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.
We could see another thriller next weekend, with the Spaniard narrowly prevailing over Djokovic to win the last Masters 1000 tournament of the season.
Predicted Winner: Carlos Alcaraz.