Musetti beats Zverev in world No. 1’s Paris debut

Alexander Zverev lost 7-6 (5), 6-2 to Lorenzo Musetti in the Paris Masters second round on Wednesday, his first match after becoming the world’s top-ranked men’s player. The defeat came two days after Zverev moved to No. 1 in the ATP rankings. Musetti took the first set in a tiebreak after Zverev had led 4-1, then broke twice in the second set to complete the straight-sets win. The result ended Zverev’s first appearance as the official world No. 1 after a season in which he won the French Open and U.S. Open. Zverev said after the match that he had played poorly. He also defended his position at the top of the rankings, saying he felt he had to explain why he deserved it. In remarks reported after the loss, he said Musetti had played very well and that there were no excuses. The ranking debate has included criticism of Zverev’s results against top-10 opponents. One report put his record against that group this season at 3-9, while another said he had won two major titles. Those figures describe different aspects of his season; the Paris result itself does not determine how long he will remain No. 1. Zverev said the rapid indoor court suited his game and that he should have...