A match to confirm: Benoît Paire must tame the “Fuego” Verdasco
Benoît Paire is “here to win UTS 2”. After winning his first match of the second edition of UTS, on Saturday against Dustin Brown (3-1), the world number 22 must continue, against Fernando Verdasco.
The Rebel was flashy at UTS1. And when he hit his stride, Benoît Paire showed just how mesmerizing he can be. The world number 22 proved to be mire showman than showstopper at UTS1. And his short attention span was his downfall on many occasions, as he pulled into a last-place finish with a 2-7 record. But he won his first match at UTS2, on Saturday, against Dustin Brown (3-1).
Today, he’ll have another chance to shine against a Spanish southpaw, that is looking to make a splash in the South of France. Enter El Fuego : Fernando Verdasco. A combative conquistador that knows no quit.
The heat will be turned up on Sunday as Verdasco, new kid on the block, seeks to blaze past Paire with his beefy game, ferocious forehand and unquenchable desire to win.
Paire has the higher ranking and the more sublime skillset. But he will need to bring the fight to El Fuego instead of buckling under the pressure when the heat gets too high.
More tennis news
July 6, 2008: The day Nadal triumphed over Federer in what many consider the greatest match in tennis history
Gauff digs past Bencic for a maiden Wimbledon quarterfinal – and the last eight at every Slam
Hurkacz points to back and abdominal trouble after Wimbledon retirement
Sinner reaches a fifth straight Wimbledon quarterfinal, the youngest to do so since Sampras
Auger-Aliassime brands tennis’s injury rule “a disgrace” after Davidovich Fokina timeout
