By Alberto Amalfi | Monday, November 2, 2015
Benoit Paire rallied from a one-set, 0-4 hole to surge past Gael Monfils, 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4, and reach the second round of the BNP Paribas Masters Paris.
Photo credit: AFP
Gael Monfils was on the verge of a runaway win, when Benoit Paire answered with a run to turn the match around.
Rallying from a one-set, double break deficit, Paire defeated good friend Gael Monfils, 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4, in an all-French clash of shotmakers to earn his second career victory at the BNP Paribas Masters Paris.
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A two-time finalist, Monfils typically produces his most dynamic tennis in Paris. Monfils broke to open and went airborne hitting a smash to seize the opening set in 33 minutes. The former French Open semifinalist reeled off 15 consecutive points building a 4-0 second set lead.
The end appeared imminent, but Paire had other ideas. He dug in and fought back eventually forcing the tie break.
The world No. 23 did not face a break point in the final set. Paire broke Monfils for a 5-4 lead in the decider then served it out setting up a second-round encounter with another Frenchman, 14th-seeded Gilles Simon, who had a first-round bye.
"He surprised me,” Monfils told ATP World Tour.com of Paire. “He started playing like he was going to let me get that match. Suddenly, he changed, so I also needed to get back into it myself. He was being aggressive and succeeding well in his attacks, and I had to change my game then.”
Aside from Paire's triumph, it wasn't a successful start for home players.
Dominic Thiem saved five of six break points in a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 triumph over 42nd-ranked Frenchman Adrian Mannarino. It was Thiem's second three-set win over Mannarino, following his victory in the Miami round of 16 in March. Thiem will play 11th-seeded Kevin Anderson next.
Serbian qualifier Dusan Lajovic defeated French wild card Nicolas Mahut, 7-5, 6-3.
World No. 18 Bernard Tomic topped Fabio Fognini, 6-3, 6-2, in 56 minutes. Tomic will take on fourth-seeded Stan Wawrinka for the first time in four years in round two.
Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci beat lucky loser Teymuraz Gabashvili, 6-4, 6-4, and will face world No. 1 Novak Djokovic next.