Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic won their opening matches at the BNP Paribas Masters on Wednesday, both sending home representatives from the host nation. Nadal defeated Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 7-5, 6-4, while Djokovic battled past Corentin Moutet 7-6(2), 6-4.
“(It was) not easy to come back…after a while without being on the tour,” said Nadal, who was playing in a tournament for the first time since winning the U.S. Open. “And playing on this surface… and against a very dangerous opponent in the first round for me, second for him…. So (I’ m) very happy with the victory.
“I know how dangerous Adrian is on this court. The court here is fast, the bounce is low, so I think is a perfect court for him. I went on court knowing it (was) going to be very tough one. I needed to play well and I think I did. My serve worked very well during the whole match. I think I played at the right level.”
“I didn’t feel health-wise 100 percent in the last couple of days, but it is what it is,” Djokovic noted. “It’s not the first time I didn’t play at a really high level; lots of errors, especially in the first set. (It was my) first time against a young player who is talented, very quick, returns a lot of balls back that usually other guys wouldn’t get–he gets it. And he was pumped; I respect his fighting spirit.”
Most of the remaining contenders for Nitto ATP Finals spots did not fare as well as Nadal and Djokovic. Roberto Bautista Agut, David Goffin, Diego Schwartzman, John Isner, and Fabio Fognini all saw their London hopes mathematically come to an end. Bautista Agut had a very realistic chance of qualifying, while the others were longshots. Matteo Berrettini also lost on Wednesday, but he remains in the all-important No. 8 position.
Gael Monfils, Stan Wawrinka, and Alex de Minaur are still alive following their second-round victories. Wawrinka and De Minaur–who would have been eliminated if Berrettini had defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga–must win the entire tournament. Monfils can qualify with a semifinal performance in Paris.
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Monfils suddenly in real contention….
Not sure where to ask this question, but I read Sock is losing his ATP ranking next week. I can’t find anywhere that tells me what that means. Does he only play Futures now? If you can help me, thank you kindly!
it means he has not won a match in a full 12 months and therefore has not earned any ranking points
he can still get wild cards into tournaments–Futures, Challengers, or ATP
Thanks!