Rublev’s losing run reaches five as Etcheverry edges him in Paris
Tomas Martin Etcheverry beat Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3) in a final-set tie-break, as he did in Halle last year. The Argentine ended his own six-match losing run and faces eighth seed Alex de Minaur in the second round.
Andrey Rublev, Rolex Paris Masters 2026 | © Michel Baucher / PsNewz
Andrey Rublev lost a fifth match in a row as Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry beat him 6-4, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3) in the first round of the Rolex Paris Masters on Tuesday.
Rublev, ranked No. 22, had not won a match since reaching the quarter-finals in Beijing, where de Minaur beat him. His last final was in Hangzhou, where Daniil Medvedev beat him 7-5, 6-4.
Etcheverry, ranked No. 31, will face eighth seed Alex de Minaur, runner-up in Vienna on Sunday, in the second round.
Etcheverry ends his own losing run in a final-set tie-break
Etcheverry himself came to Paris on six straight defeats since reaching the fourth round of the US Open.
He took the opening set 6-4 on Court 2. Rublev levelled by winning the second-set tie-break 7-4. The Argentine then took the deciding tie-break 7-3, after 2 hours 52 minutes.
It was the second time in their three meetings that Etcheverry beat Rublev in a final-set tie-break, after a 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (6) win in the round of 16 in Halle last year. Rublev won their first meeting 7-6 (3), 6-2 in Montreal in 2024.
Etcheverry won his only ATP title in Rio de Janeiro in February, beating Alejandro Tabilo 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4 in the final. De Minaur, 10th in the Race to Turin, starts his campaign on Wednesday.
Rublev, who won the Bastad title this season, reached the semi-finals in Paris in 2023.
Rolex Paris Masters 2026 first-round results
Lorenzo Musetti d. Hubert Hurkacz 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10)
Luca Van Assche d. Mariano Navone 6-3, 7-5
Learner Tien (15) d. Adolfo Daniel Vallejo (LL) 6-3, 5-7, 7-5
Novak Djokovic (10) vs Valentin Vacherot (Tuesday)
Rinky Hijikata (Q) d. Luciano Darderi 6-2, 6-2
Tomas Martin Etcheverry d. Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3)
Cameron Norrie d. Matteo Arnaldi 6-4, 1-6, 6-3
Mattia Bellucci (Q) d. Lorenzo Sonego (Q) 6-4, 6-3
Arthur Rinderknech d. Francisco Cerundolo (16) 3-6, 7-6 (2), 2-0 ret.
Tommy Paul (12) vs Holger Rune (PR) (Tuesday)
Daniel Merida d. Sebastian Baez (LL) 6-4, 6-2
Quentin Halys d. Arthur Fery 7-6 (6), 7-5
Jan-Lennard Struff (SE) vs Arthur Gea (WC) (Tuesday)
Casper Ruud d. Juan Manuel Cerundolo (Q) 6-3, 6-2
Rafael Jodar (9) d. Alejandro Tabilo 6-2, 6-3
Nuno Borges (LL) d. Moise Kouame (WC) 6-3, 6-1
Karen Khachanov d. Denis Shapovalov 6-3, 6-7 (6), 1-4 ret.
Ignacio Buse d. Zizou Bergs 6-2, 6-4
Tomas Machac (Q) d. Kyrian Jacquet (WC) 7-6 (7), 6-1
Alex Molcan (Q) d. Titouan Droguet (WC) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
Benjamin Bonzi (Q) vs Taylor Fritz (11) (Tuesday)
Brandon Nakashima (14) vs Matteo Berrettini (Tuesday)
Ugo Humbert d. Botic van de Zandschulp 7-6 (5), 6-7 (9), 6-3
Alex Michelsen vs Jiri Lehecka (Tuesday)
