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ATP Paris, France

With their play at the Paris Masters, Hubert Hurkacz and Casper Ruud become first-time entrants in ATP Finals

The Pole secured the last berth in the tour's season-ending championships by defeating James Duckworth, a day after the Norwegian topped Marcos Giron to secure passage to Turin.

By Ed McGrogan
PARIS, FRANCE - NOVEMBER 04: Hubert Hurkacz of Poland celebrates after winning match point during his singles match against Dominik Koepfer of Germany on Day Four of the Rolex Paris Masters at AccorHotels Arena on November 04, 2021 in Paris, France. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
© Justin Setterfield

UPDATE: With his 6-2, 6-7 (4), 7-5 quarterfinal win over James Duckworth on Friday, Hubert Hurkacz has clinched the final berth at the ATP Finals:

MATCH POINT: H. Hurkacz def. J. Duckworth; Paris QF1:02

The ATP Finals are in for a Ruud awakening.

The tour's season-ending championships, relocated to Turin, Italy after a 12-year stay in London, welcomed its seventh competitor on Thursday, after Casper Ruud defeated Marcos Giron in the round of 16 at the Rolex Paris Masters. The eighth-ranked Norwegian's 6-2, 6-1 win over the American was his 53rd of the season (against just 14 defeats), and he's vying for his sixth title of 2021 in Paris-Bercy. But regardless of his results from here, Ruud has earned a coveted spot in the men's tennis finale.

Ruud's inclusion gives the ATP Finals some truly new blood. Of the six players who previously qualified—Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev and Matteo Berrettini—four are former champions and five are former participants, with Berrettini being the first alternate at last year's event. The 22-year-old began the 2020 season ranked just outside the Top 50, ended it ranked No. 27, and has now guaranteed himself a finish inside the Top 8.