Arthur Fery was knocked out in the first round of the Paris Masters after Quentin Halys won 7-6, 7-5. Halys, 30, is competing in the final ATP Masters 1000 event of the season.
Neither player dropped serve in the opening set. Halys took the tie-break after saving two set points, then fended off two break points early in the second set. Fery saved one with a lob and held serve in a game lasting more than eight minutes, but Halys later repelled another break point as the Briton tried to force a deciding set.
A forehand winner gave Halys the decisive break, and he completed the win with an ace. He will next face seventh seed Frances Tiafoe, who had a first-round bye.
Fery reached the Wimbledon semi-finals and also contested the Winston-Salem Open final in August, where he missed out on his first ATP 250 title to Ignacio Buse.
Sources: BBC Sport.