Lucky Loser Borges Stuns Khachanov to Reach Paris Last 16

Nuno Borges continued the most unlikely run of the Paris Masters on Wednesday, beating former champion Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-4 to reach the last 16. The Portuguese player had looked ready to leave Paris on Sunday after losing to Alex Molcan in the second round of qualifying. Instead, he was handed a second chance as a lucky loser and has taken it in style, first beating Moise Kouame 6-3, 6-1 and now sweeping aside the 2018 champion. Borges was close to flawless against Khachanov. He struck 11 aces, won 85 percent of the points behind his first serve and did not face a single break point in one hour and 39 minutes on court. It was his first win over the Russian, against whom he had never previously won. The victory was the 31st of Borges's season and carried him into the last 16 of a Masters 1000 event for the first time at a tournament where he had never previously won a main-draw match. He will now face Peru's Ignacio Buse, who upset Daniil Medvedev, for a place in the quarter-finals.