Ricky’s picks for Wednesday in Paris, including Fritz and Zverev

Second-round competition at the Rolex Paris Masters continues on Wednesday, when seeds Taylor Fritz and Alexander Zverev are taking the court. Both players face a difficult draw.

Here are my picks for two of Day 3’s best matchups.

Jack Draper vs. (5) Taylor Fritz

Fritz did not have to win a match in Paris before clinching a place in the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals. He clinched his spot when a all kinds of other contenders such as Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev, Frances Tiafoe, and Hubert Hurkacz lost on Tuesday. There was never any real doubt that the sixth-ranked American would qualify, as he owns a 49-20 record this year that is highlighted by a runner-up showing at the U.S. Open.

Up first for Fritz on Wednesday is Draper, who trails the head-to-head series 2-1. The British left-hander won their first matchup but Fritz has won both so far in 2024; in a third-set tiebreaker in Munich and also in three sets at the Paris Olympics (both on clay). An indoor hard court will give Draper a much better chance. He just won an indoor title last week in Vienna, which has propelled him to a career high of No. 15 in the rankings. With both guys playing great, this could be one of the best matches of the entire tournament.

Pick: Fritz in 3

(3) Alexander Zverev vs. Tallon Griekspoor

Zverev and Griekspoor will be facing each other for the seventh time in their careers and for the fourth time this year on Wednesday. Although Zverev leads the head-to-head series 5-1, all three of their 2024 meetings have been close. The German got the job done 7-6(7), 6-2 in Indian Wells before surviving in final-set tiebreakers at the French Open and at the Shanghai Masters.

Those competitive losses and his lone victory over Zverev having come indoors (in three sets last season in Rotterdam) should give Griekspoor plenty of confidence. The Dutchman is playing decent tennis this fall, with a third-round effort in Shanghai and a semifinal performance in Stockholm. Zverev has not done anything since losing to Fritz in the U.S. Open quarters. The world No. 3 got upset by David Goffin at the Shanghai Masters and fell to Lorenzo Musetti in Vienna. This is a very good opportunity for Griekspoor to pull off an upset.

Pick: Griekspoor in 3

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on Twitter at @Dimonator.