Carlos Alcaraz gets walkover in Paris Masters round of 16 to qualify for quarters

Paris: Seven-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz has received a walkover in the Paris Masters round of 16 after Matteo Berrettini withdrew from the third-round match due to lingering pain in his arm, the tournament organisers confirmed on Thursday.

Alcaraz, who made it to the round of 16 after defeating America's Alex Michelsen in the round of 32, is now through to the quarterfinals, where he will be facing either home favourite Arthur Fils or Taylor Fritz.

"Matteo Berrettini has to withdraw from the Rolex Paris Masters. Wishing you a speedy recovery, Matteo. Carlos Alcaraz is qualified for the quarter-finals," an official statement from the tournament read.

Berrettini also put an Instagram story on his withdrawal. The English version of his Italian statement reads, "Hi all, unfortunately the pain in my arm that I've had for a few days won't allow me to take the court tonight.

"In the next few days, I will have all the necessary tests to better understand what this is. Thank you all for the support and affection you show me every day on and off the court. Mat."

Meanwhile, Alcaraz is hunting for his fifth tour-level title of the year. He won the Australian Open and the Qatar Open before being sidelined for months due to a wrist injury he picked up during the Barcelona Open.

He returned at the US Open, where he made it to the quarterfinals before losing to Ben Shelton. Alcaraz won the Japan Open in Tokyo last month and also added the Erste Bank Open title earlier this month.

Meanwhile, he gears up to face either Fils or Fritz next. Fils recently confirmed his place in the ATP Finals, becoming the first Frenchman to qualify for the year-end tournament since Gael Monfils in 2016.

Fritz stands 11th in the Race to Turin and needs to reach the semifinals to keep his hopes alive in the eight-man final; a top-nine finish will do it for him, as Jannik Sinner, second in the Race to Turin, is missing the rest of the season due to his injury.

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