Benoit Paire has won his first ATP tour title in Bastad, just a week after a controversial exit at a Challenger tournament. The Frenchman was accused of tanking at the San Benedetto Tennis Cup, where he won the first set over Filippo Volandri, 6-1, then dropped the second 6-2 before retiring in the decider.
In Bastad, Paire defeated the top three seeds—David Goffin, Tommy Robredo, and Pablo Cuevas—and won all of his matches in straight sets. The most competitive encounter came in the first set of his first-rounder against 536th-ranked Markus Eriksson.
“I won [that set] 7-6, and after that I played with a lot of confidence,” Paire told ATPWorldTour.com. “I think Goffin was maybe a bit injured, he had some trouble with his back. But after that I managed to win against Cuevas and Robredo, two players who are very good on clay.”
Now Paire, currently ranked No. 42, is seeking more titles. “It’s good to win one tournament, but I want to win more and make more finals,” he said.
The talented but erratic 26-year-old has been ranked as high as No. 24 but spent much of the previous two seasons sidelined by knee problems. According to Paire, he has taken a different approach to tennis since the injuries.
“The most important thing then was to play,” he said. “I don’t care if I play well or not, it’s important to get on court and win some matches. I see tennis differently now. I don’t care as much whether I am playing well or not so well. As long as I am on the court and trying to get the win.”