Iga Swiatek moved onto the verge of sealing her place in the final four of the WTA Finals as she cruised to a 6-3 6-2 triumph over Caroline Garcia at Fort Worth on Thursday.

Garcia was the only WTA Finals player to have beaten Swiatek this year, but the world number one swept her aside with an impressive display in one hour and 23 minutes.

Swiatek remains yet to lose a set at Fort Worth and will qualify for the semi-finals should Coco Gauff fail to beat Daria Kasatkina in two sets, or if Kasatkina wins.

Garcia managed the first break in the third game of the opener, but Swiatek broke back immediately before finding another at 4-3 up, kicking on from there to take the opening set.

The Pole was excellent in the second set, breaking Garcia twice to secure another victory and inch closer to the final four.

Swiatek gets some measure of revenge for the 6-1 1-6 6-4 defeat to Garcia at the Warsaw Open quarter-finals in July, her only loss on clay over the season.

A Kasatkina win against Gauff will see Swiatek advance as group winner, while a Gauff win in three sets will seal her progression but leave her position in the group undecided.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Swiatek - 17/8
Garcia - 16/14

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Swiatek - 1/2
Garcia - 3/3

BREAK POINTS WON

Swiatek - 4/5
Garcia - 1/6

Novak Djokovic remained on course for a record-extending seventh Paris Masters title after booking his quarter-final place with victory over Karen Khachanov.

The six-time champion avenged his defeat by Khachanov in the 2018 Championship match by running out a commanding 6-4 6-1 winner.

That gave Djokovic his 11th straight victory in the French capital, where he is unbeaten since that 2018 defeat, while he has also won each of his last 11 Tour-level matches.

The Serbian, who has triumphed in Tel Aviv and Astana during that streak, set up a last-eight clash with Lorenzo Musetti after the Italian came from behind to stun third seed Casper Ruud 4-6 6-4 6-4.

The Naples champion recorded his maiden top-five victory at the seventh attempt, while he hit 37 winners to advance to his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final.

Meanwhile, world number one Carlos Alcaraz won five out of seven break points as he breezed past Grigor Dimitrov 6-1 6-3 to reach the last eight in Paris for the first time.

There, he will play Holger Rune after the Stockholm champion defeated seventh seed Andrey Rublev in straight sets.

Fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas overcame Corentin Moutet 6-3 7-6 (7-3) to reach his 14th quarter-final of the season, where he will face Tommy Paul after the American denied Pablo Carreno Busta 6-4 6-4.

Felix Auger-Aliassime was a commanding 6-1 6-3 victor over Gilles Simon. The eighth seed will take on Frances Tiafoe, who defeated Alex De Minaur 6-3 7-6 (7-5).

Daniil Medvedev feels he may have been at a disadvantage in his opening match at the Paris Masters, going down 6-4 2-6 7-5 against Alex de Minaur in the second round.

While it was De Minaur's second match of the week, having fought his way through the first round in a three-set win against Sebastian Korda, Medvedev had the bye straight through to round two.

He pointed to that fact when discussing what he thinks went wrong for him, while also crediting De Minaur for rising to the occasion during big points.

In his post-match press conference, Medvedev said he did not feel he played poorly, but De Minaur was just in terrific touch.

"I think he played pretty well," he said. "I think even in the third set I had the break up, and he played an amazing game on my serve where I served only first serves, and he made some winners. 

"Actually, I think I had my chances to win the match – but didn't use them – and he managed to keep enough pressure on me at the end of the match to win.

"But that's tennis, you know. Like I just watched Felix [Auger-Aliassime] win [in a close third-set tiebreaker] and I'm going, 'whoever loses this match is gonna hate tennis for a few days'... two people, only one can win."

When asked if his victory at the Vienna Open – where he beat Denis Shapovalov in the final just four days ago – had him feeling not at his sharpest on such a quick turnaround, he admitted it was a factor.

"Well, I had a lot of matches under my belt back to back, and it's never easy," he said. "The positive thing is that you feel confident. 

"My impression, if you win the first match of the week, that's where you really have a lot of feelings and you have a confidence boost for the next match.

"But it's the first match that is the toughest. It was a tough match. Alex played very well. Had he played a bit less well, I would have won. But he did his job, you know, and he won."

Medvedev will be part of the field contesting the ATP Finals in Turin later this month.

Rafael Nadal has turned his focus to the ATP Finals after his shock exit from the Paris Masters, though found it hard to visualise success in Turin.

World number two Nadal crashed out in the second round of the ATP 1000 event on Wednesday, going down 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-1 to Tommy Paul.

Nadal, who was contesting his first match since his Laver Cup doubles exhibition with the now-retired Roger Federer, took the opening set and appeared on his way to a comfortable victory when he went up a break in the second.

But Paul broke straight back, going on to win the tie-break before storming home in the decider as Nadal seemed to struggle physically the longer the match dragged on.

Speaking to the media after the loss, Nadal gave credit to his opponent and said he did not deserve to win after blowing his chance.

"It's okay – all the credit to Tommy," he said. "Things happen sometimes.

"I think he played aggressively, a lot of great shots. I had my match in that second set, with a set and break [lead]. 

"I played a terrible game there. I didn't deserve the victory playing that bad in that key moment, no.

"Until that moment, it was okay, a good match for me. Knowing that this is my first match in a while – and this surface especially, you cannot make mistakes with your serve.

"We are always ready to find excuses, but in the end, it's always the same. You play well, you win; you don't, you lose. 

"For moments, putting everything in a pack, I was playing quite well. Then at the right moment, I didn't make the right things. So that's it – he played well, he's having a great year."

Turning his attention to the season finale in Italy, Nadal said he will be there if everything goes to plan.

"Yes, I hope, if nothing happens, I hope to be there," he said. "I'm excited about playing, even if it hasn't been the perfect couple of months for me, of course. 

"But yeah, nothing to lose. After a good year, going there, just trying my best. It's true that for the last five months I didn't spend enough days on the Tour.

"I don't even say competing on a tennis court – I say on the Tour. Practicing with the guys, that's what I need."

His lack of a strong build-up to the tournament has 22-time grand slam champion Nadal admittedly not liking his chances, saying it would be "difficult to imagine" this being the year he is able to win his first ATP Finals title.

"I mean, for me it's difficult to imagine now arriving in good enough shape to win a tournament like this one that I didn't win during my whole tennis career," he said.

"To play against the best players of the world, from the first day you need to be there and the rhythm, conditions, that will not happen. 

"So the only thing I can do is try to be there earlier, have some good practice with the guys and then give my best on the court – and hopefully the level of tennis will be there, and the body too.

"I can't predict much, and I honestly don't think much about what I have to do or what I don't have to do to be really there. 

"I just think about 'be better' – I need to improve a couple of things, and then I need to play sets against the best players, to feel myself again, competitive against everyone.

"That's it – I'm gonna try to make that happen – and if not, you know what, there's going to be next year, and I'm going to try to have the best season possible to start strong."

World number two Ons Jabeur kept her chances of WTA Finals success intact as she came from behind to defeat Jessica Pegula.

Having lost to Aryna Sabalenka in her opening match in Fort Worth, US Open and Wimbledon runner-up Jabeur was staring down a group-stage exit from the tournament when she found herself 1-6 2-3 down halfway through the second set on Wednesday.

Yet the 28-year-old hit back to triumph 1-6 6-3 6-3 over her American opponent, the world number three, who has now lost both of her matches in the Nancy Richey group.

Jabeur reeled off four straight games to take the momentum and, after fending off four break points to hold serve in the first game of the deciding set, did not look back, clinching a decisive break to nose 5-3 ahead.

A stray Pegula cross-court forehand wrapped up Jabeur's comeback win, and the Tunisian, who is aiming to become the first African player to reach the semi-finals at the season-ending tournament, can now turn focus to her final group game against Maria Sakkari, who she has faced three times previously, losing twice. 

Jabeur's victory was her third against a top-three opponent, after beating Simona Halep in 2018 and Karolina Pliskova in 2020, while only world number one Iga Swiatek has won more matches this season (47).

BREAK POINTS WON

Jabeur - 4/10

Pegula - 4/9

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Jabeur - 27/29

Pegula - 11/16

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Jabeur - 1/2

Pegula - 0/5

Rafael Nadal joined Daniil Medvedev in making a shock early exit from the Paris Masters on Wednesday.

While world number one Carlos Alcaraz overcame Yoshihito Nishioka 6-4 6-4 to progress to the last 16, there was no such luck for compatriot Nadal, whose chances of ending the year at the top of the ATP rankings are over after a defeat to Tommy Paul.

World number two Nadal looked well set to progress after claiming the first set 6-3 in just over 40 minutes, yet American Paul rallied to seal the biggest win of his career 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-1.

The 22-time grand slam champion said on Tuesday that he is no longer concerned with competing for the top spot in the world, though he will no doubt be frustrated at bowing out at the first hurdle ahead of the ATP Finals later this month.

Paul became the first player to defeat Nadal prior to the quarter-finals of the tournament when he sent a controlled backhand volley away from the forlorn 36-year-old.

Nadal was not the only big-name exit, with world number three Medvedev also slumping to defeat, going down 6-4 2-6 7-5 to Alex de Minaur.

For Australian De Minaur, it was his first win in 19 attempts against a player ranked in the top five and sets up a third-round clash with Frances Tiafoe, who beat Jack Draper.

"It's a good one to get, for sure," said De Minaur. "It's the end of the year, everyone's a bit tired, but I'm very proud of my performance. I just played very smart.

"I knew it was going to be a chess match out there, both baiting each other to be aggressive, but you also didn't want to be too aggressive at times. It was an absolute battle and I'm very happy I was able to come out on top."

It leaves the path open for Alcaraz to retain his place as the world's best player, and the 19-year-old said after his win: "First round in every tournament is never easy.

"You have to be really focused, you have to try to get a good rhythm, good feeling in the first round. I'm really happy with the performance, the level that I played, and I'm looking forward to getting better in the next round."

Ninth seed Taylor Fritz and 10th seed Hubert Hurkacz lost to Gilles Simon and Holger Rune respectively, their defeats ensuring Felix Auger-Aliassime, who overcame Mikael Ymer, and Andrey Rublev will feature in the ATP Finals.

Auger-Aliassime's victory took three hours and 30 minutes, and marked his 14th win in a row.

"Somehow I found a second wind after saving those break points at 4-1," said the Canadian.

"I played better and better, coming through the court much better, serving better. It was pretty epic. Three hours and 30 minutes on the court, quality rallies. He was making me work all the time. Definitely a win to remember."

Fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas was also a winner, seeing off Daniel Evans in straight sets.

Tennis great Billie Jean King believes it is "important" for people to go to the World Cup in Qatar and "be an influencer" amid ongoing concerns over the country's human rights record.   FIFA's decision to allow Qatar to host the World Cup has faced persistent criticism, with concerns cited over the human rights standards in a country where same-sex relationships are prohibited.   England captain Harry Kane will be among eight skippers to wear a distinctive heart-adorned armband at the tournament, raising awareness for the OneLove campaign against discrimination   King has been a regular promoter of equality, helping to secure equal prize money at tennis' four majors, and outlined her support for Qatar, where she would not be against hosting the WTA's Billie Jean Cup.   "I probably would be because, first of all, the WTA went there years ago," the 78-year-old responded when asked if she would allow her tournament's finals to be held by the World Cup hosts.   "I get a lot of different people coming to me saying 'why would you play there the way they treat women?' But personally, I think it's important to show up and be an influencer.   "I think it's delicate, no question. But I think it's important to go if you get the opportunity and everything else fits too, not just go there for money or whatever."

Qatar faced more scrutiny after an Amnesty International report in 2021 alleged thousands of migrant workers were exploited, with the country's government denying those claims but acknowledging problems.

King is no stranger to the Middle East either, having supported the WTA Finals being played in Doha, where she said the tournament created opportunities for female tennis players.

"We were there four or five years and I think it helped," the American added. "When I went there I did a clinic for the kids but only for the girls.

"Somebody was left-handed, which is sinister to them, and this mother was saying she hoped her left-handed daughter could one day become a champion and get rid of that stigma.

"These are the kind of discussions you can have when you're physically there. So I'm big on going actually, even if I know it's a fine line of how you do it."

The World Cup starts in 18 days when Qatar face Ecuador at Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor.

Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer revealed he has previously been treated for skin cancer and underwent three operations on his face.

Neuer has joined forces with three-time tennis grand slam champion Angelique Kerber to release a skincare range called 'Newkee' and revealed the personal reasons for his involvement.

The 36-year-old had not previously disclosed the medical information, with the timeframe remaining unclear on the operation, though he was pictured last year playing with bandaging over his face.

"We both have a very personal history of skin diseases. In Angelique's case it's sun-related hyperpigmentation," the Germany veteran said in a press release launching the skincare range.

"In my case it's skin cancer on my face, which I've already had to have operated on three times."

Neuer has not featured for Bayern since October 8 due to a shoulder injury, but could be fit for the Bundesliga trip to Hertha Berlin on Saturday.

His return would prove a welcome boost for Germany, whose World Cup campaign starts against Japan in 21 days, as Hansi Flick's side aim for global glory in Qatar.

Bayern trail unlikely leaders Union Berlin by a point at the Bundesliga summit, with three games left to play before the break for the World Cup.

Caroline Garcia is off to a perfect start in her first WTA Finals appearance since 2017, collecting a straight-sets win over Coco Gauff to share top spot of the Tracy Austin Group with Iga Swiatek.

Garcia won 6-4 6-3 in one hour and 18 minutes in Fort Worth, proving slightly better with her return game throughout, creating four break point opportunities in both sets while Gauff could only muster one in each.

Gauff was the one to strike first, securing a break in the opening game of the match, but Garcia got it back instantly to tie things at 1-1, and then when leading 5-4, Garcia broke again to wrap up the first set.

Things could have spiralled for the 18-year-old American when she fell down a break in the second set, but she responded well, breaking back in the next game.

But Garcia kept the pressure on for a second break before serving it out safely. It is her second consecutive win over Gauff after also eliminating her from the US Open quarter-final, and evens their head-to-head ledger at two apiece after Gauff took the first two meetings.

BREAK POINTS WON
Garcia - 4/8
Gauff - 2/2

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Garcia - 1/3
Gauff - 1/2

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Garcia - 20/23
Gauff - 12/14

Iga Swiatek continued her hoodoo over Daria Kasatkina as she breezed through their opening match at the WTA Finals.

Swiatek needed just an hour and 23 minutes to see off Kasatkina 6-2 6-3 in Fort Worth, Texas.

The world number one was in command throughout, her movement and intensity too much for Kasatkina in the Tracey Austin Group encounter.

Swiatek saved all three of the break points she faced and converted four of the seven chances she created for herself.

She sent down 23 winners, her highest tally in a single WTA Finals match, to complete her fifth win over Kasatkina this season.

The Pole is the first player to win five or more matches against the same opponent in a single season since Petra Kvitova against Lucie Safarova in 2014.

With her 46th such win of the year (excluding Billie Jean King Cup matches), she is the first player to win 46-plus WTA main draw matches in straight sets in a season since Serena Williams (66) and Agnieszka Radwanska (46) in 2013.

BREAK POINTS WON

Swiatek - 3/7

Kasatkina - 0/3

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Swiatek - 23/18

Kasatkina - 4/9

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Swiatek - 1/3

Kasatkina - 1/1

Novak Djokovic and Casper Ruud were made to work hard for victory in their opening matches at the Paris Masters on Tuesday.

For Djokovic, a 10th win in a row came in an absorbing battle with his Paris-born American opponent Maxime Cressy, who displayed a typically aggressive approach on serve, with 15 aces and 10 double faults overall.

Djokovic was strong on his own delivery, however, with the Serbian losing just six points on serve and not facing a break point on his way to a 7-6 (7-1) 6-4 victory.

"I'm happy with the way I played," Djokovic said. "When chances were presented, I was able to use them, even though I did have some missed break points.

"But it was very challenging, first match with a guy who serves extremely well and strong and fast.

"He's comfortable coming to the net. It's nice to see. I think he's the only guy that really comes to the net after every first and second serve. I think it's good for tennis to see that, particularly in these modern times when most of the players are playing from back of the court. He's a very athletic guy.

"It's difficult to play him definitely in these kind of conditions where balls are flying through the court and it's quicker than it was last year. So tough to break.

"But I didn't make too many unforced errors. I'm very pleased with the way I served, with the way I was holding my service games. Just the way I felt, the way I played, it was all positive."

Third seed Ruud ground out a 6-1 7-6 (9-7) victory against Frenchman Richard Gasquet, with the Norwegian saving three of four break points in what proved to be a tightly fought contest.

Mistakes from Gasquet were ultimately costly, the veteran having 10 unforced errors in the second set compared to Ruud's two.

Seventh seed Andrey Rublev was also victorious, the Russian winning 6-2 6-3 against American John Isner, while the British duo of Jack Draper and Dan Evans progressed to the last-32 stage, beating Arthur Rinderknech and Brandon Nakashima respectively.

Rafael Nadal is not treating the Paris Masters as a chance to fight for a place at the top of the ATP rankings.

Nadal has played only once – alongside the now-retired Roger Federer at the Laver Cup – since he was knocked out in the fourth round of the US Open by Frances Tiafoe.

The 36-year-old has won two grand slam titles in 2022, at the Australian Open and the French Open, seeing him sit one clear of Novak Djokovic when it comes to the record amount of major triumphs.

Yet it is Nadal's fellow Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, some 17 years his junior, who sat top of the world rankings ahead of the Paris Masters and the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin.

Nadal could yet end the year at the summit, but to overtake Alcaraz he would likely need a deep run at the Paris Masters – one of two ATP 1000 tournaments he is yet to win in his illustrious career – and in northern Italy.

However, Nadal, who became a father last month, says he now has a much simpler aim than becoming the best player on the planet.

"To be clear, I understand it's an interesting point because you're talking about fighting for number one, [but] I don't fight any more to be world number one," Nadal said in a press conference on Tuesday, a day ahead of his opening match against Tommy Paul in the French capital.

"I just fight to keep being competitive in every event that I play. It's something I said a long time ago, I will not fight any more to be number one.

"I did in the past. I achieved that goal a couple of times in my career and I have been very, very happy and proud about achieving that. But I am at a moment in my tennis career where I don't fight to be number one.

"I'm just excited to be here. I'm here to try my best and then accept things how they are coming. Hopefully, I will be ready, I'm going to try to be competitive. Let's see. I'm excited about it."

Having dominated the game for so long, Nadal and reigning Paris Masters champion Djokovic find themselves ranked at second and seventh by the ATP respectively.

Nadal and Djokovic are the only players in the top 10 aged over 30, with four of the other eight players aged under 25.

"My feelings are that I am proud of all the things that I was able to still be here in 2022," Nadal said, when asked what it was like to be competing against the next generation of talent.

"It's something that says that I did a lot of things well in my life, not only my tennis career. To hold the passion, to hold the love for the game and fighting spirit.

"I'm proud of that and just hope that I can enjoy the last two events of the year."

With his son not yet a month old, Nadal conceded he is missing home.

"[A] different approach to usual. It has always been difficult to leave home, to be honest," he said.

"It's quite interesting how even after two or three weeks you leave your son at home and [are] not be able to go see him. It's something quite interesting how even after only three weeks of knowing him you start missing him.

"So yeah, a new experience, all changes are difficult in his life, and you need to adapt to it."

Aryna Sabalenka fought from a set behind to come back and defeat Ons Jabeur 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 7-5 in their first match of the WTA Finals on Monday.

Sabalenka, 24, has now won her past three matches against Jabeur, and this time around it was her ability to limit the effectiveness of the Tunisian's serve that turned the tide.

Jabeur's serve dominated the opening set, winning 73 per cent (16-of-22) of her service points while not allowing Sabalenka a single break point opportunity.

The second set was a different story, as some double faults crept into Jabeur's game and her success rate on her service points dipped to 51 per cent (24-of-47), allowing Sabalenka to break three times before forcing a decider with a close tiebreaker.

Sabalenka finally got on top in the third set, narrowly edging the total points count 37 to 31 in the frame while converting both of her break point chances to finish off the victory.

She now sits second in the Group B standings, trailing Maria Sakkari due to the Greek winning her match in straight sets.

BREAK POINTS WON

Sabalenka - 5/8

Jabeur - 6/10

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Sabalenka - 21/26

Jabeur - 37/29

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Sabalenka - 1/6

Jabeur - 7/5

Maria Sakkari defeated Jessica Pegula 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-4) in the opening match of the WTA Finals on Monday in Fort Worth.

It was a highly anticipated first match after the same two competitors faced off in the Guadalajara Open final just eight days ago, with Pegula taking that contest 6-2 6-3 in convincing fashion.

That final lasted just 71 minutes, but the rematch would be a far more gruelling affair, with the first set alone reaching 73 minutes.

Illustrating the even nature of the contest, both players won exactly 52 out of 104 total points played in the opening set, with both players converting three of their five break point opportunities.

Sakkari created a slight edge in the second set, winning 52 per cent of the points (42-of-81) and creating four break point opportunities to Pegula's one.

Pegula took her only chance to break, and then saved two match points to force a tiebreak, but Sakkari would not be denied as she secured the victory and moved to the top of the Group B standings.

BREAK POINTS WON

Sakkari - 4/9

Pegula - 4/6

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Sakkari - 3/1

Pegula - 3/4

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Sakkari - 22/22

Pegula - 22/28

Carlos Alcaraz views fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal as another competitor and "not my enemy", despite the pair's battle for top spot in the world rankings.

The 19-year-old continues to break records at the top table in tennis, becoming the first teenager to be crowned world number one in the Open Era.

Alcaraz, aged just 19 years and 129 days, also set a new benchmark as the youngest number-one ranked male player in the world since rankings were published in 1973.

Those feats came after winning September's US Open, where he joined Arthur Ashe (1968) and Rod Laver (1969) as the only Open Era players to win on their first or second main-draw outing at the tournament.

Now, Alcaraz has Nadal – a record 22-time major winner – chasing him for top spot, though the youngster assures there will never be bad blood between himself and his compatriot.

"I don't see it that way," Alcaraz responded to Eurosport when asked if he was embroiled in a battle with Nadal.

"It's true, Rafa is fighting for the No.1. Some players have the same goal – to be No.1, so I need to do my best. Outside the court [Rafa and I] are colleagues, at least it's the way I see it.

"Rafa is not my enemy. I say hello, I don't see that competition. With the rest of the players, it's the same. Beyond that relationship, I'll try to keep being No.1."

While Alcaraz remains the world's top-ranked male player, he intends to savour the moment after a surreal victory at the US Open.

"It is an incredible feeling, waking up as No.1, the US Open winner. It's a dream come true," he added.

"I am enjoying this moment so far. I keep working, my life is still the same, I'm still the same kid, same player. I just keep practising, keep improving."

As the teen aims to relish topping the ranks, his next focus turns to the Paris Masters – where he faces Yoshihito Nishioka on Wednesday – with a knee injury not as serious as first thought.

"It's a little pain, but the calendar is very demanding," he said of the injury. "We are playing and travelling with barely any breaks and it's normal that we have a few pains.

"All players have them and we learn how to deal with them. I am feeling good physically and I am ready to play here in Paris and in Turin in the [ATP] Finals."