Richard Gasquet beats Benoit Paire in round two – Monte Carlo Rolex Masters 2013
World number nine, Richard Gasquet, toppled the 23-year-old compatriot, Benoit Paire, to in the second round of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters on Tuesday. The 26-year-old French won the opening set comfortably with a score line
of 6-1 but fell victim to the onslaught of his rival in the second phase of the game. Paire won the second set 6-3 but couldn’t sustain the same energy levels in the final phase of the encounter. The ninth ranked French won the deciding battle 6-1 and booked
a berth in the third round of the contest.
Gasquet stated in a post-match interview, “I tried to be more aggressive (in the third set). For sure he played better than me in the second set. I lost five games in a row. So it was difficult. Thanks to my experience, I was able
to raise my level of tennis in the third set and I ended up winning.”
The opening set witnessed an exciting one-sided show from the in-form Gasquet who was coming off from a semi-final showdown at the Sony Ericsson Open at Miami. He marshalled the ball at his will and gobbled two successive breakpoints
to close out the opening set in quick succession. It was a classic performance from the French athlete who had a considerably tough draw in the second round; facing the 33rd ranked compatriot.
Paire turned the tables on his opponent in the second set. He lost a breakpoint in the third game but fought well to equalise the scores in the sixth game. Moreover, the 23-year-old French clinched another breakthrough in the eighth
game of the set that helped him to enforce the final set into play. It was a deserving comeback for the youngster who played extremely well in the second set.
Gasquet utilised his experience to topple the compatriot in the final set. He exerted immense pressure by playing lengthy rallies and frustrated Paire with the mixture of drop shots and forehand winners. He won the breakthrough
in the second game and posted a resounding lead of 5-1 courtesy to another breakpoint.
A serve hold ended the encounter in the favour of Gasquet who will play Marin Cilic in round three.
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