Novak Djokovic began his bid for a record-extending seventh Paris Masters title with a fluent display in his first singles match in over six weeks.
Serbia’s Djokovic, who had not played since a Davis Cup match on 15 September, won 6-3 6-2 against Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
The 24-time major champion will face Tallon Griekspoor in the last 16.
Third seed Daniil Medvedev appeared to raise his middle finger to the crowd after he lost to Grigor Dimitrov.
Medvedev, 27, reacted to being booed by the French fans having eventually buckled against the Bulgarian, who took his seventh match point to clinch a 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-2) win.
The Russian’s defeat means the two leading seeds behind Djokovic are already out, with Spanish second seed Carlos Alcaraz suffering a shock exit against 45th-ranked Roman Safiullin on Tuesday.
Djokovic, 36, further boosted his chances of finishing above Alcaraz as the year-end number one with his winning return to the tour.
Having not played a tour-level singles match since lifting the US Open title on 10 September, Djokovic looked sharp throughout against world number 31 Etcheverry.
Djokovic, showing his usual precise hitting and athleticism, won three of seven break points and saved the only one he faced.
Dimitrov avenges Medvedev defeat, while Tsitsipas progresses
Six days ago in Vienna, former world number three Dimitrov was beaten by Medvedev having also led by a set.
This time the 32-year-old thwarted another comeback from the 2021 US Open champion in a dominant deciding tie-break.
Greek seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas moved a step closer to securing his place at the season-ending ATP Finals with an impressive win over Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Serving well under pressure to save six of seven break points, 25-year-old Tsitsipas secured a 6-3 7-6 (7-4) success to reach the last 16.
He also saved four set points as Auger-Aliassime looked on course to force a decider, coming through to earn a win which could prove crucial in helping him qualify for the Finals in Turin.
Tsitsipas will next play Germany’s Alexander Zverev, who it was reported on Tuesday has been charged with assaulting an ex-girlfriend, or France’s Ugo Humbert.
Australia’s Alex de Minaur progressed by beating Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic 4-6 6-4 6-4 in what was the 200th win of his career.
The 24-year-old, who beat Britain’s Andy Murray in the previous round, is the first man born in 1999 or later to reach the landmark.
In the doubles, Britain’s Jamie Murray saw his hopes of reaching the season-ending event hampered by a second-round defeat in Paris.
Murray, 37, and New Zealand’s Michael Venus, who are ninth in the race with the top eight qualifying for Turin, lost 6-4 6-3 to Mexico’s Santiago Gonzalez and France’s Edouard Roger-Vasselin.
Meanwhile, Britain’s world number three Neal Skupski is looking for a new partner for the 2024 season after Dutchman Wesley Koolhof ended their successful partnership.
The pair won the Wimbledon title earlier this year and could still finish the season as the world’s best pair, but Koolhof has decided to team up again with his former partner Nikola Mektic of Croatia.
