In some good news for fans of Benoit Paire, the Frenchman is progressing nicely at the on-going ATP Hamburg Open as he reached the quarter-finals after a straight-sets victory in the second-round against Juan Pablo Varillas.
It’s the first time since January 2020 Paire won 2 consecutive matches. Previously he won more than 2 consecutive matches at ASB Classic, wherein he reached the finals and lost to compatriot Ugo Humbert.
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Benoit Paire won a close match against Juan Pablo Varillas in Hamburg Open
After a walkover in the opening round matchup against Ricardas Berankis, Paire was given a tough fight by Varillas in the pre-quarters today. Paire, who appeared to be throwing matches away deliberately on-tour seemed to have found the winning rhythm back with this victory.
Overall, it was a tightly-contested matchup as the Frenchman managed to win by just two points over his opponent.
Despite losing the serve on four occasions throughout the match, Paire was able to break the serve of Varillas on multiple occasions.
Paire or the hulk? #HamburgOpen pic.twitter.com/f3zRZntdqv
— Tennis GIFs 🎾🎥 (@tennis_gifs) July 15, 2021
After a few breaks of serve, the Frenchman took the first set, 7-5. Even in the second set, the Frenchman continued to have a roller-coaster ride with respect to his game as his Austrian opponent pushed Paire to the limit.
Deservedly, the set went to a tie-breaker where Varillas was leading 8-7. Just when a deciding third set looked like a possibility, Paire won three back-to-back points to come back from deficit and reach the quarter-finals in Hamburg.
Paire will now face Federico Delbonis in Hamburg Quarters
In the quarters, the Frenchman will face Federico Delbonis. While it’s tough to predict how a Benoit Paire match will proceed, the slight momentum he had in this tournament might pull him out of a tumultuous eighteen months on the ATP tour.
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For a while, the Frenchman was called out by fans for not putting efforts to win points and matches. At the French Open, he was rooted by fans in the first-round against Casper Ruud.
As a result, Paire was able to push the match to five sets. Even though he lost the match, the local boy appeared to have enjoyed the time he spent on the Parisian clay.
With a couple of victories up his sleeve, Benoit Paire can make a mark at the on-going Hamburg Open and get a few ranking points under his belt.
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Also read: “Have No Problem”: Benoit Paire Holds No Regrets Over Tokyo Olympic Games Expulsion