Benoît Paire leaving entrance to Indian Wells facing Frances Tiafoe

Barely over an hour and Benoît Paire’s Indian Wells tournament was already over. The French, not in a good day and victim of stomach aches, quickly gave in to Frances Tiafoe, Thursday evening, during the first round of the Californian Masters 1000 (6-4, 6-4 in 1:02). “I’m going to go party”, he slipped to the American who asked him at the net after the meeting what he had on the program next.

A way of his own to quickly turn the page after this express defeat. Mistreated, Paire managed to hang on in the first set by redoing his late breaks. But the upturn did not last long, especially because of its irregularity in its faceoffs. “I have to adjust myself, especially at the service, he estimated just after the meeting. I broke three times in the first set including two shutouts (only one actually). These are things that don’t happen to me too normally. I manage to come back by not playing very well but I make two ridiculous double faults starting the game at 4-4, it lowers morale. “

So much so that the 50th in the world has never really digested this end of the first act and these ten points lost in a row. The first play of the second set definitely weighed him down and his racquet flew across the field at the change of side. A second suffered such an unenviable fate and Paire took a penalty point. He tried, on a few sequences, to get back into it. But the heart was really not there and the American was too solid on his faceoffs.

“It was a little harder today (Thursday) while the other days, it was fine, it frustrated me a little, he analyzed. I have a few flaws in my game right now that stand out but that’s okay. The match is not the most important. The important thing is to be on the court, to move, to have a little fun. I will finish it within 50 (ATP ranking), that was the goal. The year is very long for me. » He still has a few tournaments to complete (and perhaps the Davis Cup) to see the end.