VIDEO. Open Sud de France: Benoît Paire creates a sensation against Andy Murray and ends a long series without a victory

Benoît Paire a remporté son premier match après un an et demi de disette. MIDI LIBRE – Alexandre Dimou

Benoît Paire est venu à bout de l'Ecossais Andy Murray (2-6, 7-6, 6-3) au premier tour de l'Open Sud de France de Montpellier, ce lundi 29 janvier.

In any case, the Open Sud de France lost one of its two headliners this Monday, January 29. Finally, the whimsical Benoît Paire (34 years old) gained the upper hand over the veteran Andy Murray (36 years old).

VICTOIRE DE BENOIT PAIRE 🇫🇷

Après avoir perdu le premier set, le Français renverse Andy Murray et se qualifie pour les 8es de finale de l'Open Sud de France !#lequipeTENNIS pic.twitter.com/Aoc7WzgIFH

— L'ÉQUIPE (@lequipe) January 29, 2024

Too imprecise in the first set, the Frenchman held on in the second set and was better in the money-time of the third set. Despite his steel hip, the winner of three Grand Slams (2 Wimbledon, 1 US Open) was not unworthy. For his first in Montpellier, the Scotsman will only have had one match.  

Solid in the head

If the first set didn't really leave room for suspense, with a Pair in the lead, it was something entirely different for the second. The Frenchman was in the lead for a long time (4-2) before Murray broke away and took the lead (5-4). But the Avignonais did not give in and pushed the Scotsman to the tie-break. 

In a South of France Arena won over to his cause, Paire got off to a flying start (4-0). Even though the Murray beast seemed injured, it was still moving. She even erased a set point at 6-4, but the Frenchman lined up a magnificent cross-court passing to offer himself a decisive set.

First victory since August 2022

The rest would end in the mind. In this last set, the two men went blow for blow. Everyone's attitudes changed. Nervous at the start of the game, Paire showed surprising composure in the money-time. Quite the opposite of Murray, who ended up getting broken at 3-3. 

👀 Andy Murray est fou de rage contre l'arbitre, après avoir perdu le point du 3-2 face à Benoît Paire !

Suivez le match en direct : https://t.co/icnqogyDWR#lequipeTENNIS pic.twitter.com/2xLOJSXkqv

— L'ÉQUIPE (@lequipe) January 29, 2024

As it was time to conclude, Paire was beginning to waver. The Scot's experience seemed to play tricks on him. The latter even ruled out four match points! Enough to make one of the "bad boys" of the circuit ? Nope. The fifth was the right one. And Paire ended a drought of 546 days without a victory on the ATP circuit.