ATP Paris Masters predictions: Auger-Aliassime riding a wave of confidence

Free tennis tips, best bets and analysis for the ATP Paris Masters, starting on Monday.

Where to watch

Amazon Prime, 9am Monday

Best bets

Felix Auger-Aliassime
1pt each-way 20-1 bet365, Betfred, Hills

Borna Coric to win third quarter
1pt 8-1 Coral

Preview

Novak Djokovic is the undoubted master of Paris and the super Serb heads the market to claim a record-extending seventh win in the Paris Masters this week.

The final ATP 1000 event of the year has attracted all of the world’s top ten, aside from injured Alexander Zverev, but Djokovic has undoubtedly the most solid claims of lifting the trophy again.

He could face his old rival Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals. Nadal won the pair’s sole clash this year – and it was in the French capital. However, that came on the Roland Garros clay which Nadal has made his own, while the Bercy Arena hard court is very much Djokovic territory. Nadal has yet to win the title.

Indeed the Majorcan marvel is far from guaranteed to reach that stage.

Denis Shapovalov is a potential third-round opponent and arrives in decent form. The Canadian got the better of Nadal in the Italian Open when they last met.

The useful Stefanos Tsitsipas could also stand in Nadal’s way, although the Greek could have his hands full seeing off Borna Coric should they meet in the third round.

The Croatian has won the pair’s last three meetings, most recently in last week’s Vienna Open. The section looks more open than the odds suggest and Coric is a value pick to win the quarter.

While it will be something of an upset if Djokovic fails to reach the final, the other half of the draw looks more open.

Teenage sensation Carlos Alcaraz is the top seed. He has had a spectacular year, becoming the youngest man to reach world number one and claiming the US Open title.

However, he was beaten by Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semi-finals in Basel a few days ago, and the Canadian now owns a 3-0 record against Alcaraz. Auger-Aliassime went on the win that title and has now won three consecutive tournaments.

Those efforts will catch up with him eventually, but he at least has a bye to the second round in Paris and is riding a wave of confidence.

Auger-Aliassime could face 2020 champion Daniil Medvedev in the quarter-finals, and the Russian would likely be favourite for such a clash having claimed the Vienna title at the weekend. He has arguably the easier route to the last eight, however at the prices the young Canadian appeals as an outright each-way bet.

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