Joao Sousa to meet Novak Djokovic, Frances Tiafoe sets up Alexander Zverev clash

Joao Sousa and Frances Tiafoe won their opening matches at the Paris Masters to set up second-round encounters against Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev respectively.
Qualifier Sousa upset French Open semi-finalist Marco Cecchinato 7-5, 6-3 to book a clash with four-time Paris Masters champion Djokovic.
Joao Sousa books a meeting with four-time #RolexParisMasters champ Novak Djokovic in the second round.
Tops Cecchinato 7-5 6-3 to move on in Paris. pic.twitter.com/F7xcXlORAR
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 29, 2018
American Tiafoe, meanwhile, saw off the challenge of Nicolas Mahut, winning 7-6 (7-1), 6-2 to earn himself a date against fourth seed Zverev.
Sealed with class 👏@FTiafoe moves past French qualifier Mahut 7-6(1) 6-2. Meets Sascha Zverev next…#RolexParisMasters pic.twitter.com/9yx6fH3cbP
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 29, 2018
Fellow NextGen star Karen Khachanov also moved into the second round as he beat Filip Krajinovic of Serbia 7-5, 6-2.
The Russian was due to meet Kyle Edmund, but the British No 1 withdrew due to injury and he will face Australian lucky loser Matthew Ebden instead.
Canadian Denis Shapovalov fell at the first hurdle as he went down against Richard Gasquet with the veteran Frenchman winning 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) to send up a meeting with defending champion Jack Sock.
“[Shapovalov] is hitting the ball very hard. So it’s very tough to play against him. So I needed to play very offensive, especially my return on his second serve was important for me. So I tried to push a lot and to keep my serve,” Gasquet told ATPWorldTour.com.
Other players to advance include Damir Dzumhur, Philipp Kohlschreiber and Feliciano Lopez.
More from Tennis365:
Paris Masters betting preview: Novak Djokovic will be tough to beat
Marcus Buckland talks to Tennis365 as he offers insight into the real Andy Murray
Quiz! Test your knowledge on the history of the Paris Masters
Juan Martin del Potro, the comeback king of tennis, not giving up on ATP Finals
Five talking points ahead of ATP Finals: Big Three’s return, Rafael Nadal’s barren run and more
Latest
-
French Open
Elina Svitolina weathers Hunter Storm onslaught to secure Round of 32 place
Elina Svitolina defeated qualifier Storm Hunter in the second round of Roland Garros.
-
French Open
Stefanos Tsitsipas slugs his way into French Open third round
Stefanos Tsitsipas has won through to the third round of the French Open with a straight sets victory over Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena.
-
French Open
Novak Djokovic’s Kosovo remarks condemned by the French Minister of Sports
Djokovic wrote “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence” on a camera.
-
French Open
Fitness-focused Gael Monfils dubs himself ‘crazy’
Gael Monfils had to overcome cramps and a double break deficit in the fifth set to down Sebastian Baez.
-
French Open
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova feared her career was over
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova said that her knee injury was so severe that she “couldn’t walk or sit down”.
-
French Open
Follow the 2023 French Open with T365’s scores and results centre…
Catch the action from Roland Garros…
-
French Open
French Open day three: Seyboth Wild shocks second seed but Iga Swiatek cruises through
The story of the third day of play from Roland Garros.
-
French Open
WATCH: French Open hero rejects domestic violence question after Daniil Medvedev win
There was a tense exchange in Seyboth Wild’s press conference when he was asked about a domestic violence case.
-
French Open
Daniil Medvedev: I had a mouthful of clay, I don’t like to eat clay
World number two Daniil Medvedev rued Tuesday’s…