Benoit Paire ousts Marsel Ilhan in the final qualifying match of Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell
French Benoit Paire, ranked 121st in the world, battled past world number 111 Marsel Ilhan of Turkey in three thrilling sets 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(5) in the final round of the qualifying draw at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell on Sunday. The Frenchman needed two hours and 17 minutes to beat his opponent in a tough contest.
Paire and Ilhan held their serve in the first six games of the opening set to tie the score at 3-3. Ilhan managed to break his opponent in the seventh game and took a 4-3 lead. The Turkish served out the first set at 5-4.
Ilhan neither hit an ace nor any double fault in the opening set. The Turkish hit 65 percent of the first serves, winning a whopping 82 percent of the points on them in the first set. On the other hand, Paire fired a couple of aces and committed three double faults. The French saved one of the two break points he faced in the opening set.
The second set saw both players breaking each other on a number of occasions. However, Paire claimed three of the five breaks of serve in the second set, winning it 7-5.
The French served quite well in the second set as he fired seven aces and 55 percent of the first serves in the second set. Paire converted 79 percent of his first serves into points in the second set. The 21-year-old converted three of the five break point opportunities he received in the second set. The French saved two of the four break points he faced in the second set.
Paire and Ilhan exchanged a couple of breaks of serve in the first twelve games of the deciding set, levelling the score at 6-6 to take the set to a tie-break. Paire managed to claim an early mini-break with the help of a back hand winner in the tie-break. The right-handed consolidated on the single mini-break, winning the tie-break 7-5.
The French hit two aces and the same number of double faults in the third set. Paire kept his first serve percentage at 57 percent, winning 67 percent of the points on his first serve in the final set. The French capitalized on one of the three break points he received in the deciding set.
This is Paire’s first appearance at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell. In the first round, the French defeated world number 152 Conor Niland of Ireland in three sets 4-6, 6-0, 6-3.
Paire is drawn to face wild card entrant, world number 314 Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain in the first round of the main draw.
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