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PARIS: Record seven-time champion Novak Djokovic overcame a scare late in the second set to beat big-serving Valentin Vacherot 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-1 in the first round of the Paris Masters on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The men\u2019s record 24-time Grand Slam winner is chasing a 103rd career title, which would move him level in second place with Roger Federer. Jimmy Connors leads in the Open era on 109.<\/p>\n
But the 10th-seeded Serb could have gone out early in Paris.<\/p>\n
Serving at 4-4 in the second set, he needed to save three break points to prevent Vacherot \u2014 who won the Swiss Indoors on Sunday and beat Djokovic in the Shanghai Masters semifinals last year \u2014 from serving for the match at the indoor tournament.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis second serves are faster than my first serves, so it\u2019s very tough to play a guy in these conditions, which are really, really fast,\u201d Djokovic said. \u201cLast year was very slow, this year is like ice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Djokovic was bamboozled by the Monaco player\u2019s \u201chuge\u201d serves and saw 22 aces fly past him.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor a set and a half, I had difficulty reading his serve,\u201d Djokovic said. \u201cEven if I guessed right, it was coming with some speed.\u201d<\/p>\n
After breaking Vacherot to level the match, he broke him at the start of the deciding set to seize the momentum. Djokovic won on his second match point with a fine two-handed backhand winner down the line from the back of the court.<\/p>\n
Both players took a medical timeout during the second set, with Djokovic having some massage on his right shoulder and Vacherot having his left ankle strapped.<\/p>\n
Also Tuesday, third-seeded Ben Shelton moved into the third round after beating fellow left hander Cameron Norrie 6-3, 6-4 to equal his season-best total with a 42nd win.<\/p>\n
The American player has added Carlos Alcaraz\u2019s former coach Juan Carlos Ferrero to his team for 2027. Shelton has already secured his spot in the Nov. 15-22 ATP Finals, along with top-ranked Alexander Zverev, seven-time major winner Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev.<\/p>\n
Djokovic is chasing a spot but is an outsider at 11th in the race. He needs to reach at least the semifinals here to stay in contention, the ATP said, with only an ATP250 event remaining in Stockholm after Paris.<\/p>\n
No. 11-seeded Taylor Fritz, who is one place below Djokovic, won 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 against Benjamin Bonzi.<\/p>\n
In other first-round matches Tuesday, French teenager Mo\u00efse Kouame \u2014 a fan favorite at the French Open this year \u2014 lost 6-3, 6-1 to Nuno Borges, and 2022 champion Holger Rune lost 7-5, 6-4 to No. 12-seeded Tommy Paul.<\/p>\n
Rune is still finding his way back following an Achilles injury. The 23-year-old Dane returned to action in September and lost to Vacherot in the quarterfinals last week at the Swiss Indoors.<\/p>\n
In the third round on Wednesday, Zverev faces mercurial Italian Lorenzo Musetti, Djokovic plays qualifier Rinky Hijikata while second-seeded Alcaraz takes on Alex Michelsen and No. 4 Medvedev plays Ignacio Buse.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n