Three players have already been eliminated in the race for the remaining places on the grid for the ATP finals in London. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Kevin Anderson and Sam Querrey failed in their first match at the ATP Masters in Paris, forfeiting all their chances at the end-of-year tournament.
Tsonga unexpectedly lost in Palais Omnisport to his fellow countryman Julien Benneteau, who was only able to compete in the main event thanks to a wildcard. The Vienna finalist Tsonga won one point more than his opponent, but 37 unforced mistakes were too many against Benneteau, to whom only 23 were lost.
Anderson also seems to have to pay tribute to a long season. The South African lost 5:7,6:4 and 7:5 to Fernando Verdasco in the second round of Paris. For Anderson, who still had a walk-through in the first round, it was the second close defeat within a week. In the first round of Vienna, Anderson failed in just under two sets due to Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.
Verdasco won their third victory this season against Anderson after losing the first set. The Spaniard is now the next opponent of Dominic Thiem in the last 16.
Wimbledon semi-finalist Querrey was eliminated on Tuesday evening. The US-American lost to Filip Krajinovic from Serbia 4-6,4-6,4-6. Querrey was 14. the highest ranked player Krajinovic could beat this year.
The only player to date to be successful in Paris with serious chances of winning a London ticket is Juan Martin del Potro. The Argentinean had little trouble in his 6-2-6-2 win over Portuguese Joao Sousa. Del Potro has to reach the semi-finals in Paris to overtake Pablo Carreno Busta, currently in eighth place in the Race to London. Carreno Busta had lost to Nicolas Mahut in Paris.
Due to the many unexpected defeats, Vienna winner Lucas Pouille also has a chance of reaching the finals. Pouille did not allow a single break in the second round against seasoned Spain’s Feliciano Lopez and won 6-3,6-4.
On Wednesday evening David Goffin, seventh place finisher of the race, will enter the tournament on Wednesday evening. The Belgian meets local hero Adrian Mannarino.