Qualifying – First Round: Saturday 31 October schedule
The opening fireworks of the Rolex Paris Masters’ 40th anniversary edition will be launched this Saturday from 11:00 on the courts of the Plenitude Arena.
While the favourites and dark horses discovered the long and demanding road that could lead them to the Arbre de Fanti following Friday’s draw ceremony, the players competing in qualifying also learned the names of the opponents standing between them and a spot in the main draw. And from the very first day, several must-watch clashes are on the menu.
French players take centre stage
For the first time, centre court at the Plenitude Arena will host four qualifying matches, two on Saturday and two on Sunday.
That provides the perfect stage for the French contingent to shine in front of their home crowd. From 12:00, Hugo Gaston, a familiar face at the tournament and no stranger to memorable performances, will take on No.11 seed Vit Kopriva.
That match will be followed by one of the standout encounters of the opening day: Benjamin Bonzi versus No.2 seed Tallon Griekspoor.
French hopes will not be confined to centre court. The court 1 also features a strong home flavour, with promising youngster Felix Balshaw facing No.9 seed Yannick Hanfmann in the third match of the day before Adrian Mannarino begins his campaign against No.4 seed Nuno Borges.
Those two highly anticipated matches for French fans will be preceded by two clashes that are equally difficult to call. From 11am, Pablo Carreno Busta takes on No.13 seed Mattia Bellucci before Tomas Machac and No.14 seed Martin Landaluce go head-to-head.
Fans of long rallies and unpredictable battles will also find plenty to enjoy on the Arena’s other courts. On court 2, Lorenzo Sonego and No.12 seed Jaume Munar, followed by Grigor Dimitrov and No.6 seed Adolfo Daniel Vallejo, will headline the schedule.
Meanwhile, top seed Sebastian Baez will look to give the spectators on court 3 something to celebrate when he takes on Damir Dzumhur in the third match of the day.
If you would like to experience the action up close, tickets for the Rolex Paris Masters are still available through the tournament’s official ticketing website.
➡️ Click HERE to see the full qualifying first-round schedule