Paris R2 previews and predictions: Berrettini vs. Tsonga, Bautista Agut vs. De Minaur

The eighth and final spot at the Nitto ATP Finals is most likely coming down to Matteo Berrettini and Roberto Bautista Agut. Berrettini will begin his Paris campaign against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Wednesday, while Bautista Agut meets Alex de Minaur.

(WC) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. Matteo Berrettini

Nobody could have expected this when the season began, but the No. 8 spot at the Nitto ATP Finals is Berrettini’s to lose heading into what is the final tournament of year for many players. If the ninth-ranked Italian reaches the third round of the BNP Paribas Masters, Roberto Bautista Agut will have to make at least a semifinal run (other contenders would be in the mix by reaching the final or winning the title). Having won 19 ATP-level matches in his career prior to 2019, Berrettini has won an incredible 42 this season.

Up first for the 23-year-old on Wednesday night is a first-ever meeting with Tsonga, who advanced by beating an in-form Andrey Rublev 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 on Monday. The 35th-ranked Frenchman is a former champion of this event and he has done well to come back from injury in a big way this year, but nonetheless he is well past his prime. Berrettini is playing bigger right now and he is obviously younger and faster, as well.

Pick: Berrettini in 2

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(9) Roberto Bautista Agut vs. Alex de Minaur

Bautista Agut and de Minaur will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers and for the second time this fall. They just faced each other earlier this month in Zhuhai, where de Minaur dominated 6-2, 6-2 on his eventual way to the title. The 18th-ranked Australian also made a run to the Basel final last week before falling to Roger Federer. Getting right back in gear with just one full day off, de Minaur kicked off his Paris campaign with a 6-1, 6-4 rout of Laslo Djere.

The pressure is on Bautista Agut if he wants to make a debut appearance in London, something that was never a lock but looked like more of a probability prior to a bit of a post-Wimbledon slump. Bautista Agut lost in round one of the U.S. Open to Mikhail Kukushkin and dropped a crucial contest against Berrettini in the Shanghai third round. The 10th-ranked Spaniard should fare better than he did in Zhuhai, but the edge once again has to go to a red-hot de Minaur.

Pick: De Minaur in 3

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