Andrey Rublev's spectacular meltdown in Paris Masters loss to Francisco Cerundolo
Sixth-seeded Andrey Rublev lost two tiebreakers and his temper as his hopes of qualifying for the ATP Finals took a hit at the Paris Masters.
Facing Francisco Cerundolo in the second round at the indoor tournament, Rublev lost 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5) in a match that lasted more than two hours.
In yet another scene of self-inflicted racquet abuse, Rublev was so frustrated in the second set that he smashed his racket against his left knee at least seven times in succession. The outburst left his knee bleeding.
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He also screamed at the crowd to "shut up" after losing a point, and smashed a water bottle into the court during a change of ends.
Andrey Rublev left his knee bloodied after a meltdown during the Paris Masters. Tennis TV
The Russian player held the eighth and final qualifying place in the race for the season-ending ATP Finals but could be overtaken by rivals this week.
The ATP said Taylor Fritz became the fifth player to qualify, making it to the season-ending tournament for the second time in the past three years. The indoor event gathering the top eight players of the season will take place in Turin, Italy, from Nov. 10-17.
Fritz joined Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev in the field.
Sinner pulled out of the Paris Masters on Monday, citing a virus. The Italian player is guaranteed to finish the year as world No.1.
Sinner was the second high-profile player to pull out following seven-time champion Novak Djokovic.
Carlos Alcaraz overcame some rusty moments on his serve to beat Nicolas Jarry 7-5, 6-1.
The second-seeded Spaniard was troubled by Jarry's strong forehand at times. The Chilean broke his serve in the ninth game and held for 5-5. But Jarry double-faulted in his next service game to lose the first set.
Andrey Rublev in action against Francisco Cerundolo. Getty
Alcaraz saved a break point in the third game with an ace and broke for a 4-1 lead with a crisp forehand winner.
Serving for the match, Alcaraz saved another break point with an ace to make it deuce and won the next two points, clinching victory when the erratic Jarry's two-handed backhand clipped the net and went out.
"He's a really dangerous player on these courts," the 21-year-old Alcaraz said. "I'm super happy to win here."
The four-time Grand Slam champion is looking for his fifth title of the year and next plays either 15th-seeded Ugo Humbert or American qualifier Marcos Giron.
Carlos Alcaraz won his match against Nicolas Jarry. Getty
Earlier, big-serving Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard of France hit 28 aces on his way to defeating Frances Tiafoe 6-7 (5), 7-6 (4), 6-3.
Fresh from winning the title in Basel, Mpetshi Perricard also had 13 double-faults but never dropped his serve against the 14th-seeded American player.
Mpetshi Perricard converted his sole break point to win his first match at a Masters 1000 tournament.
The Frenchman, who started the year ranked 200th, rose to a career-high ranking of No. 31 on Monday.
According to ATP statistics, Mpetshi Perricard has served 512 aces in just 27 matches this season. He will play Karen Khachanov or Christopher O’Connell in the second round.
