Paris (The Hawk): Marc-Andrea Huesler, a Swiss qualifier, defeated 11th seed Jannik Sinner 6-2, 6-3 in the opening round of the Paris Masters on Monday. Huesler did not hold back in his maiden appearance in the ATP Masters main event.
The 26-year-old Huesler had gone 0-3 since winning his first tour-level match on indoor hard courts in Sofia at the beginning of October.
But in the match against Sinner, the lefty delivered his big-serving, aggressive best after triumphing over Hugo Gaston and Laslo Djere in qualifying in Paris. He scored 20 victories, including six aces, to defeat the No. 12 player in the world in 68 minutes.
"It feels enormous. I've enjoyed my season a lot. I came in with nothing to lose today after winning my first two matches in the qualifying rounds. That enabled me to play with great aggression. Certainly not his ideal match, but I had to be prepared to seize the moment. I just persisted, and I'm thrilled with the victory "Huesler remarked.
In Basel last week, Huesler was the only player to defeat eventual champion Felix Auger-Aliassime in a set. Despite his difficult string of results after Sofia, Huesler maintains that his level has not significantly dropped.
He only first into the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings in July, but now he's getting used to playing on the grandest platforms the ATP Tour has to offer.
"I believe that my recent experiences have been quite beneficial. I played a challenging match last week against Felix [Auger-Aliassime] in Basel in front of a large audience, which served as excellent practise for this. This place has a fantastic centre court, which was a lot of fun to play on. I simply tried to concentrate on the subsequent point at all times, got a little lucky on some crucial points, and made the best choices under pressure today "Huesler remarked.
In the second round in Paris, Huesler will face Karen Khachanov. The 2018 winner needed little time on Monday to get back on track in the French city, as he quickly defeated Sebastian Baez by scores of 6-1, 6-1.
Huesler stated it was a difficult task, but he was looking forward to the chance to compete against another Top 20 talent.
"Undoubtedly, Karen is a major server. I previously faced him in the Davis Cup, when I lost in two sets, "Huesler stated.
"Since every player here is tough to beat, I'm excited to compete against them. I'm here to give it my all, and I'm really confident in my abilities. Let's see how it goes since I know the serve will be crucial for both of us "Added he.
(Inputs from Agencies)