Zverev dispatches Humbert in straight sets to win Paris Masters

Germany's Alexander Zverev with the trophy after winning the men's singles final match at the Paris ATP Masters 1000 tennis tournament at the Accor Arena - Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy - in Paris on Nov. 3, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 04 November 2024
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Zverev dispatches Humbert in straight sets to win Paris Masters

  • The third-seeded Zverev was in total control of the final to earn his seventh Masters 1000 title, his first in the French capital
  • Zverev became the second German player to win in Paris after Boris Becker

PARIS: Alexander Zverev was imperious in dispatching Frenchman Ugo Humbert 6-2, 6-2 to win the Paris Masters on Sunday.

The third-seeded Zverev was in total control of the final to earn his seventh Masters 1000 title, his first in the French capital. The win also moved him past top-ranked Jannik Sinner for the most wins on the ATP tour this year, at 66.

Zverev’s big serve, excellent returns and great attacking shots did not take long to extinguish the hopes of the partisan crowd as Humbert never got into the match.

Humbert won’t have fond memories of his first Masters final. He tried to play aggressively from the start and to take all the risks to shorten rallies. But he could not find his range while Zverev defended extremely well.

The German quickly solved his rival’s serve and had his first break chance in the third game. He took it when Humbert sent a forehand into the net.

Humbert continued to make unforced errors. Trailing 3-1, he saved two break points but dropped his serve again when another shanked forehand sealed the game.

Zverev dropped just one point on his serve in the opening set and sealed it at love with an ace.

The 15th-seeded Humbert walked back to the locker room after the first set. The interlude didn’t change anything.

The Frenchman double-faulted on his return to the court, continued to make poor tactical decisions and was immediately broken with a forehand into the net. Another break gave Zverev a 3-0 lead as Humbert wasted a 40-0 lead and was never able to stage a comeback.

Zverev became the second German player to win in Paris after Boris Becker. He will overtake Carlos Alcaraz to move into second place in the new ATP rankings and will be a top contender at the ATP Finals gathering the top eight players of the season from Nov. 10-17 in Turin, Italy.


Norway’s Carlsen wins first FIDE Freestyle World Chess Championship

Updated 16 February 2026
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Norway’s Carlsen wins first FIDE Freestyle World Chess Championship

Norway’s Magnus Carlsen added ‌another crown to his collection on Sunday by becoming the first official FIDE Freestyle Chess world champion after ​a comeback win over Fabiano Caruana in Germany.
The chess master secured the title with a cautious draw in the fourth and final game, clinching a 2.5–1.5 match victory against his 33-year-old American opponent in Weissenhaus.
Sunday’s turning point came in the thrilling third game, in ‌which Carlsen, ‌35, pulled off a stunning ​win ‌from ⁠a ​seemingly lost ⁠position, swinging the entire contest in his favor.
The world number one only needed a draw in the decisive fourth game, and that’s exactly what he got in an equal endgame, with Caruana missing late opportunities to mount a ⁠comeback.
Carlsen has now won 21 world ‌titles in various formats.

 

The ‌World Championship marked a breakthrough ​collaboration between FIDE and ‌private organizer Freestyle Chess, staging the first ‌officially recognized title in this format.
Carlsen had previously failed to capture the FIDE Fischer Random World Championship, making this victory particularly sweet for the chess great.
In ‌the bronze medal match, Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov beat Germany’s Vincent Keymer, securing ⁠his spot ⁠by drawing from a winning position in the final game.
Both finalists and Abdusattorov have qualified for next year’s championship.
The tournament’s lower placings saw Hans Niemann of the United States take fifth with a 2-0 victory over India’s Arjun Erigaisi, while Armenia’s Levon Aronian won his Armageddon game against Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov for seventh place.
In the women’s exhibition match, Kazakhstan’s ​Bibisara Assaubayeva prevailed over ​Switzerland’s Alexandra Kosteniuk after their final encounter ended in a draw.