Tennis essentials, October 21: Wawrinka and Jacquet win in Lyon, Chidekh breaks into the top 50, the WTA Finals field is set

Stan Wawrinka won again at 41, Clément Chidekh moved up a level: Wednesday had the feel of a baton change, from Lyon to Brussels, and the women’s Masters field was settled along the way. The tennis day in brief.

Wawrinka: “What a thrill to play in France”

The 41-year-old Swiss beat the young Spaniard Martin Landaluce to reach the last sixteen of the ATP 250 in Lyon, the penultimate tournament of a career that ends in Basel next week. “What a thrill to play in France,” said a man who remains one of the oldest players to win a match on the professional tour.

Jacquet: the scooter to the last sixteen

In front of his home crowd, Kyrian Jacquet took out Matteo Berrettini (7-6 [4], 7-5) on Tuesday to reach the last sixteen. Born in Lyon and through qualifying, he has changed nothing about his routine: “I sleep at home and I come on my scooter,” said the local boy, now 79th in the live rankings.

Chidekh: first win, first top 50

In Brussels, Clément Chidekh took another step. Out of qualifying, the 25-year-old from Arles, ranked 152, beat Botic Van De Zandschulp (6-1, 6-4) on Tuesday for a first tour-level win, and a first top-50 scalp: the Dutchman is 38th and a recent US Open quarter-finalist. Jacob Fearnley (87th) followed on Wednesday, 7-6 [4], 6-2, and Francisco Cerundolo (21st) waits in Friday’s quarter-finals.

Goffin: the last tournament

The same week, Brussels says goodbye to David Goffin, playing out the final tournament of his career. The 35-year-old from Liège, once No 7 in the world, the first Belgian to reach the top 10 and twice a Davis Cup finalist with his country, opens against the Swiss Remy Bertola, ranked 219. Belgium’s new generation has queued up to pay tribute: “He let us believe in our dreams.”

Mannarino: Rublev again

Adrian Mannarino, 38 and ranked 79, keeps collecting big-name scalps: after Flavio Cobolli (No 6) in Shanghai on 9 October, he saw off Andrey Rublev (22nd) in the Almaty last sixteen, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, only his second win over the Russian in six meetings. “He is a better player than me, so to win I had to play a bit better than usual,” the Frenchman summed up. Nikoloz Basilashvili is next in the quarters.

Masters: the women’s field is set

The eight women qualified for the WTA Finals are known, after Marta Kostyuk pulled out of her last-sixteen match at the WTA 500 in Ningbo: Elena Rybakina, Aryna Sabalenka, Mirra Andreeva, Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff are in the field. Among the men the race is still open, with Rafael Jodar and Novak Djokovic fighting it out.

Sinner: season over, coach in question

Jannik Sinner, out since his Wimbledon title on 12 July with a knee injury, will not play again before 2027. Darren Cahill, his co-coach alongside Simone Vagnozzi, is expected to retire at the end of the season, and Adriano Panatta sees what comes next: “I have the feeling he could change coaches.” Juan Carlos Ferrero and Magnus Norman are the early favourites to succeed him.