Paris’s Palais Omnisports de Bercy echoed with the kind of drama that makes tennis such a gripping theater. On Saturday, French hopeful Luca Van Assche fought valiantly but ultimately saw his Paris Masters dream end at the semi-final stage, falling to world number four Ben Shelton in a hard-fought match.
The 22-year-old Van Assche, ranked 47th in the world, pushed the American star to the limit. He claimed the first set before Shelton rallied to win 5-7 6-3 6-4, ending the Frenchman’s bid to become the first Paris Masters champion from his country since 2008.
A Boost for Belief
Despite the loss, Van Assche found significant encouragement in his performance. It is true that this week is very important for me because I have a lot of high-level matches under my belt in a row. I played Shelton, who is number four in the world,
he told reporters after the defeat. That showed everything that I could do well, where I have some room for progress. This will help me to have more self-confidence, I know now that I can reach a semi-final. I know that I can go toe-to-toe with a player like Shelton today. So there is a lot of positive things to get from this, and I will try to work more to be even better next year.
A Career-High Ranking
Van Assche’s successful run in Paris will be rewarded with a significant jump in the ATP rankings. He is set to rise to a career-high of 34th in the world when the new rankings are published on Monday, a major milestone for the young player. Source: Channel News Asia
Focus on Progress, Not Seeding
When asked if he was aiming to be seeded for the Australian Open in January, Van Assche remained grounded in his approach. I don’t think I’m going to think along those lines. Of course it helps being a seeded player. I will be 34 in the ranking. It’s a very good ranking. It’s very positive. But above all, I will try to remain focused on my game, on learning new skills, on progressing, and then the ranking will follow.
Van Assche’s Paris journey concluded, but his next match will be in the final, where Shelton will face seven-times Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz of Spain.
