Benoit Paire is back and he showed it in the 2023 Miami Open qualifying, fighting for his spot in the main draw.
It's been quite some time since the Frenchman played in the ATP main draw. His last appearance came at the last year's US Open when he lost 0-6, 6-7(1), 0-6 to Cameron Norrie. Since then, Paire stopped going out, and even he announced the appointment of a new coach.
Everything seemed to come together for the Frenchman in Puerto Vallarta Mexico, where he lifted an ATP Challenger title, his first since 2019. After a very positive performance, Paire was granted a wild card for the 2023 Miami Open qualifying.
In the first round of the qualifying, the 33-year-old took on Gijs Brouwer from the Netherlands, the 17th-seeded player in the qualifying. After hitting 24 winners and making 18 unforced errors, Paire won the match 6-2, 6-4 in an hour and nine minutes to advance to the final of the qualifying.
There, he met the sixth-seeded Thanasi Kokkinakis, who he lost to twice last year. But this time, the Frenchman put on a show. He hit incredible 56 winners while making only 15 unforced errors and thanks to precise serving, he stayed on top of his opponent for the majority of the match.
Paire won the match 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 in two hours and 17 minutes to qualify for his first ATP main draw in more than 6 months. He's yet to know his first-round opponent but a good showing in Miami could boost his position in the ATP Rankings and help him to qualify for his home Grand Slam - the Roland Garros.
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