Fery suffers first-round defeat in Paris Masters

Arthur Fery lost in straight sets to Frenchman Quentin Halys in the first round of the Paris Masters, ending his run in the tournament. Halys held firm under pressure, saving two set points in the opening-set tie-break and fending off two break points early in the second set before sealing the match with an ace.

Fery was beaten 7-6 (8-6) 7-5, while Britain’s Cameron Norrie also exited after losing 6-3 6-4 to third seed Ben Shelton. Elsewhere, Novak Djokovic fought back from a set and a break down to beat Valentin Vacherot 6-7 (7-5) 7-5 6-1, keeping alive his bid to qualify for the ATP Finals. Djokovic, 39, needs a strong run in Paris and must finish in the top nine of the standings.