Remember New York? Alcaraz gets Shelton rematch in Paris final

Paris, November 8 - Carlos Alcaraz secured a 6-4, 6-4 victory over former world number two Casper Ruud, advancing to the Paris Masters final against Ben Shelton. This will be the first encounter between the two since Shelton eliminated the top-ranked Alcaraz in the quarter-finals at the US Open earlier this season. The runner-up from Flushing Meadows earned his spot in Sunday's final by defeating French world number 47 Luca Van Assche 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 in the first semi-final.

Alcaraz's coach, third seed Ben Shelton, noted Alcaraz's dominance in indoor tennis and praised his entertaining style. After saving two match points in his comeback win against Taylor Fritz on Friday, Alcaraz displayed a methodical approach in his quarter-final win over Ruud, breaking his opponent's serve in the seventh game and converting two break points.

In the first set, Shelton, who will be competing in his sixth final of the season, committed several unforced errors in the first set, ultimately conceding a break in the 11th game as Van Assche took the lead. Shelton's performance improved in the second set, with a crucial forehand passing shot at 15-40 securing his break and leading 4-2.

The final set featured a flurry of unforced errors from both players, leading to back-to-back breaks and Shelton ultimately winning the match. Shelton mentioned that his enjoyment while playing contributed to his success, emphasizing his desire to compete against the best players in the world.