Yibing “The Great Wall” Wu wins dramatic first match at UTS Los Angeles in sudden death

Yibing “The Great Wall” Wu has beaten Benoit “The Rebel” Paire in dramatic fashion in the opening match of UTS Los Angeles

Wu Yibing, UTS Los Angeles 2023 (Thierry Breton / Tennis Majors)

Bren Gray

July 22, 2023

The Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) has begun in Los Angeles with a dramatic match, where Yibing “The Great Wall” Wu beat Benoit “The Rebel” Paire 3-2 in the first clash of the day.

Under a hot LA sun, it was The Rebel who raced out to an early lead, winning the first quarter with a sensational display of dropshots and lobs, bringing The Great Wall into the net constantly.

The Rebel has entered the #UTS chat 😍 @benoitpaire @UTShowdown pic.twitter.com/kbuUnjeN5x
— UTS 🎾 – LA (21-23 July), Frankfurt (15-17 Sept) (@UTShowdown) July 21, 2023

However, a crucial play of The Great Wall’s bonus card at 12-7 in the second quarter saw Wu make the next point count for three, which he won to draw closer at 12-10. The Chinese player went on to claim the quarter, and in doing so found his feet with the crowd.

Both players became increasingly used to the lack of doubles lines and rowdier crowd over the course of the match, winning another quarter each to force a sudden death decider at 2-2 quarters each.

The Rebel had a chance to win it after winning the first point of the sudden death, but The Great Wall raced back into contention and claimed the match with consecutive points.

“I was stressed, every point is important, even when you lead,” Paire said during the match. Perhaps it was The Great Wall’s relaxed approach that saw him win the match.

Wu Yibing’s win puts him atop of Group A at UTS Los Angeles, with both players in action later this evening.