In an agonising meltdown that was hard to see for those watching, Andrey Rublev busted open his knee by smashing the racket multiple times during his second-round match in the Paris Masters. The sixth seed faced a tough loss in the match against Francisco Cerundolo in two tense tiebreaks, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5). The match, which extended beyond two hours, saw Rublev struggling with frustration, culminating in him striking his racket against his left knee multiple times, resulting in visible injuries.

The incident happened early in the second set when Rublev failed to get a return over the nets.

This is not the first time Rublev has had an on-court meltdown. Earlier this year, he shattered his racket by banging it on the court a few times.

Currently holding the eighth and final berth for the ATP Finals, Rublev’s position is precarious, as other competitors could potentially surpass him this week. Meanwhile, Taylor Fritz secured his spot in the season-ending tournament, marking his second qualification in three years. He joins Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, and Daniil Medvedev in Turin, Italy, where the Finals will take place from November 10-17.

Sinner had to withdraw from the event due to a virus but is guaranteed to end the year as the world No. 1. His withdrawal followed that of seven-time champion Novak Djokovic.

In other matches, French player Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard delivered an impressive performance, hitting 28 aces to defeat Frances Tiafoe 6-7 (5), 7-6 (4), 6-3. Despite registering 13 double faults, he managed to secure a break point that led to his victory, marking his first win at a Masters 1000 event. Mpetshi Perricard, who began the year ranked 200th, recently achieved a career-high ranking of No. 31 and has tallied 512 aces in just 27 matches this season. He is set to face either Karen Khachanov or Christopher O’Connell in the next round.

Local talent Arthur Fils also advanced, overcoming Croatian Marin Cilic with a score of 7-6 (5), 6-4. Fils will next compete against Jan-Lennard Struff, who beat Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-2.