NEW YORK: Unpredictable French player Benoit Paire slipped to an embarrassingly one-sided loss to Cameron Norrie at the US Open on Tuesday with the British winner claiming: “Maybe the heat got to him”.
Norrie eased to a 6-0, 7-6 (7/1), 6-0 victory on a sweltering and humid Court 11 where the temperature rocketed past the 30-degree mark.
Paire lost the first set in just 18 minutes and the third in 19.
He was so dispirited that at 0-5 down in the third, he even packed his kit bag despite there being another game to play.
“Obviously it was really hot, and maybe towards the end of that third set he was playing really quick and trying to make the points really short, and maybe the heat was getting to him,“ said seventh seed Norrie.
Paire, who sat down in a corner of the court to to take shade during a break in play, will pocket $80,000 for his 98-minute defeat.
The entire match was only 15 minutes longer than it took Carlos Alcaraz and Sebastian Baez to play just the second set of their gruelling first round clash taking place at the same time over on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Paire, now ranked 173 in the world, came into the tournament with just four wins all year.
He remains a polarising figure having been warned for not trying at Wimbledon in 2021. He was also kicked of the French team at the 2016 Olympics for flouting team rules.
“I did what I could,“ said Paire. “I was leading 5-3, I could have taken the second set and that would have been good in my head, but my demons returned.”
Paire, who has admitted that lockdown diminished his appetite for the sport, hinted he could call time on his turbulent career.
“I’m letting myself down, we’ll see what happens. I’m not sure if I’ll continue this season.
“Maybe I’ll stop and see if I start again next year. For now, I need a little rest.”
Norrie was reluctant to condemn the Frenchman’s performance.
“He’s a really good guy. Everyone loves him on the tour, and he’s super talented, as well,“ said a diplomatic Norrie.
“Yeah, I think he has days like this, it’s tough to be consistent on the tour playing like that.” – AFP