Djokovic overcomes scare late in 2nd set to beat Vacherot in Paris Masters 1st round

Novak Djokovic, a record seven-time champion, secured a hard-fought victory against Valentin Vacherot in the first round of the Paris Masters on Tuesday. The 24-time Grand Slam winner is on the verge of achieving his 103rd career title, a feat that would place him in second place with Roger Federer, who holds the top spot with 109.

Djokovic, who was seeded 10th, could have been eliminated early in the tournament after a tense exchange in the second set. With the score at 4-4, Vacherot, who had previously defeated Djokovic in the Shanghai Masters semifinals, looked poised to serve for the match. However, Djokovic managed to save three break points and level the match.

The Serbian then broke Vacherot to take the momentum in the deciding set, ultimately winning the match with a crucial two-handed backhand down the line. Both players took a medical timeout during the second set, with Djokovic receiving a massage for his right shoulder and Vacherot having his left ankle strapped. Later in the day, third-seeded Ben Shelton will face Cameron Norrie in the second round, with Shelton aiming to win his 42nd match of the season, tying his career-best total.

Djokovic, while still an outsider in the race for the ATP Finals, has already secured his spot but needs a strong performance in the remaining ATP250 event in Stockholm. Other notable first-round matchups included French teenager Moïse Kouame's loss to Nuno Borges and Holger Rune's defeat to Tommy Paul. Rune, recovering from an Achilles injury, had previously lost to Vacherot in the quarterfinals of the Swiss Indoors.