- Miami Open Draws and Schedule for Tuesday, March 19, 2024
- Miami Open Draws and Schedule for Monday, March 18, 2024
- Men’s Tennis Final In Indian Wells • BNP Open • Carlos Is Himself Again By Alix Ramsay
- BNP Paribas Open Finals Photo Gallery by Rob Stone
- Alcaraz defends Indian Wells title, Swiatek also wins for second time
- Home For Sale Minutes From The Indian Wells Tennis Gardens
- BNP Paribas Open Men’s Semifinal Photo Gallery by Rob Stone
- SOLINCO NEW RACQUETS THE WHITEOUT AND BLACKOUT XTD+
- Alcaraz halts Sinner hot streak in semis of BNP Paribas Open
- BNP Paribas Open Draws and Schedule for Sunday, March 17, 2024
- BNP Paribas Open Women’s Semifinal Photo Gallery by Rob Stone
- BNP Paribas Open Draws and Schedule for Saturday, March 16, 2024
- BNP Paribas Open Quarterfinal Photo Gallery by Rob Stone
- Pegula, Keys, Navarro Lead U.S. BJK Cup Squad
- BNP Paribas Open Draws and Schedule for Friday, March 15, 2024
Tennis • 10sBalls News • Benoit Paire Wins A Comeback In Dubai, Tsitsipas Also Advances
- Updated: February 25, 2020
By Ricky Dimon
Marin Cilic saw four match points come and go while losing to Benoit Paire 2-6, 7-5, 7-6(1) in round one of the Dubai Duty Free tennis Championships on Tuesday afternoon. Cilic led 6-2, 5-3 and soon got a look at two match points on his own serve at 5-4 in the second. Paire saved the first, after which the 2014 U.S. Open champion double-faulted on the second. Although the world No. 21 went on to force a third set, Cilic eventually had two more match points with Paire serving at 5-6. At 30-40, Paire fought one off with a controversial ace.
The serve appeared to be out, as it was called, but Hawkeye overturned it and gave the point to Paire for deuce. After the Frenchman managed to hold, Cilic collapsed in the decisive tiebreaker. It finally ended in appropriate fashion at the two-hour and 32-minute mark, with Cilic double-faulting down match point at 1-6.
“Normally when it’s one set, 5-3, I normally tank,” admitted Paire, who took a picture of the mark in question following the match’s conclusion.
Next up for Paire is compatriot Richard Gasquet, a straight-set winner over Lloyd Harris on Monday.
Also advancing to the Dubai second round on Tuesday were Stefanos Tsitsipas, Benoit Paire, Filip Krajinovic, Dan Evans, Pierre-Hugues Herbert, Jan-Lennard Struff, and Alexander Bublik. Struff scored an especially impressive upset of 2018 Dubai winner Roberto Bautista Agut. Tsitsipas eased past Pablo Carreno Busta and will next meet Bublik for the second time in two weeks.
”I’m happy that I got two-set victories for a very long time,” said Tsitsipas, who did not drop a single set en route to last week’s Marseille title.. “I’m not spending extra hours out on the court, which for sure is going to help me.”
Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on twitter at @Dimonator.
🎾🎾🎾