Paire does not cut himself: “I am taking advantage of the system”

Benoit Paire returns a ball during his match against Stefano Travaglia at the 1000 Masters in Rome.

Benoit Paire still cannot find his way on the ATP circuit in 2020. During his defeat to Stefano Travaglia in the first round of the 1000 Masters in Roma Paire again showed his most eccentric face by taking a photo at the mark of a ball that protested before the chair umpire Carlos Bernardes.

At the press conference after the match, Paire confessed that they gave him a very bad schedule, since he had to play with little rest and after being vaccinated against the coronavirus. “I got vaccinated two days ago and I had asked to play as late as possible because I couldn’t get there until Sunday at 22:00. In the end I find that I play at 10:00 on Monday. I haven’t been able to train here. It’s not serious but I feel a little bad from the vaccine, and it was hard for me to lift my arm. I knew it and did what I could. The result is not the important thing, the important thing is having spent time on the track. As I always say, with an empty stadium, I take it as a training session. It’s a bit rough week after week. I will go to Geneva with my parents, then to Parma and finally to Roland Garros. I will try to do my best when there are people. I’m not worried about my tennis, I realized that I still hit the ball well after a week off after the Mutua Madrid Open. It has been a good training session and that is positive. “

Paire wanted to downplay the episode of the photo to the mark of the ball on the court. “I went to see the brand and I could have laughed with my friend. I stayed with the brand as I usually do with training. It wasn’t the thing that bothered me the most. I did not expect to play a crazy game. I do what I can on a tennis court “

Asked if this bad streak could influence his current classification in the ATP ranking, Paire wanted to emphasize that with the changes in the system he will remain in the Top-50 win the title or lose in the first round of upcoming tournaments. “Do not forget that I am number 35 in the world and I will keep my final in Marrakech, where I will keep half the points after being champion in 2019. I reached the round of 16 at Roland Garros, I reached the third round at Wimbledon, I was a finalist in Lyon … the ranking does not worry me, if I fall I will stay in the Top-50. When things improve and the pandemic passes then I will rediscover the pleasure of playing on the court. I noticed it in Madrid when I played in front of the public, but here, behind closed doors it is more difficult. The ‘Race’ doesn’t interest me in anything except for the ATP Finals. I am still very well classified despite winning two games in two years. I don’t worry about tennis, it’s very difficult for me now to be on the court “

Finally Paire confessed that he is taking advantage of this new system and that he hopes to recover his best tennis and demonstrate it to the public when the pandemic ends. “The fact of climbing the ranking would motivate me, but then when I go out to play on an empty court it is very hard. I know that I am number 35 in the ranking, I am taking advantage of the system. And next week if I lose in the first round it is as if I have reached the final. Whatever you do next week, it’s the same. I would have gained 250 points in four weeks because Lyon and Marrakech are coming. I won 45 points in Madrid and that allows me to stay in the ranking. During the Games there will be minor tournaments and I will have to take advantage of them because they will count as a Masters 1,000. The ranking is special. I’m not worried, I know that when the legs come back and the motivation will be easy because I feel like I have tennis. I’m not worried, I want to get back to my best level. “

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