Benoit Paire eliminated in five sets by Cameron Norrie in the first round

Benoit Paire almost missed Roland-Garros, with an invitation obtained in extremis. And Benoit Paire almost qualified for the second round. Almost, because the Frenchman, who led two sets to one against Cameron Norrie (seed n ° 14), Monday, May 29, finally lost in five sets and a fight of more than three hours (7-5 , 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4). The Briton will find Lucas Pouille in the second round.

As often with Paire, the scenario of the match rose very high, as during the second set, boosted, and very low, as in the fourth set completely dropped in 26 minutes. The Habs took the match for a long time by the right end, remaining in control of their emotions despite the loss of a disputed first set, and even a dangerous slip from the first points. With an audience that took up the cause for him throughout the game, Paire gradually returned to the game, to the point of then pocketing the next two sets with confidence.

81 unforced errors

But the truth of a set is rarely that of the next with Benoit Paire. The Avignonnais completely dropped a fourth round when he was nevertheless in a positive dynamic, carried by “Ola” and an audience ready to exult on each winning shot. In question: 81 unforced errors in total, against 40 for his opponent, and too much waste which kept Cameron Norrie in the match.

Back in action in the final round, Paire even led 3-1 after breaking from the start, before seeing the eye-catching British come back on his heels, then level at 4-4, before falling in the lead against to a Pair who has seen a takeable match pass before his eyes. Here he stops on the 1st lap for the third time in a row at Porte d’Auteuil. In the next round, Norrie will face a resurgent Lucas Pouille, who knocked out Jurij Rodionov in the first round after beating him in qualifying a few days earlier.