Paire wins Marrakesh title

Final day in Morocco.

Grand Prix Hassan II - an ATP 250 category tournament, on Red Clay, in Marrakech, Morocco , 8-14 April 2019.

Defending champion:

Pablo Andújar who defeated Kyle Edmund (2) 6-2 6-2

Benoit Paire v Pablo Andújar 

Andújar, the defending champion, had lost all three ATP Tour clashes between the two, but those matches were contested in 2012-2013. The more relevant match was played a fortnight ago - the final in Marbella on the Challenger circuit. Andújar won that in three sets.

Paire served first in the Marrakesh final, and after a cross court forehand winner from Andújar began proceedings, the Frenchman held sway, an ace and a forehand winner cementing the game. Paire then gained a break opportunity after contributing forehand and backhand winners. However, the Spaniard survived with an ace and forehand put away. 1-1

Three more service holds, without a break point, passed by until Andújar was once again threatened. A French backhand cross court winner, and another one down the line, put Andújar down 0-30. 30-30 was reached, but a beautifully timed drop shot from Paire achieved break point. A mishit Spanish forehand converted the chance, and Paire led 4-2. After consolidating the break with another service hold, Paire went to work on the Andújar delivery again. A double fault, when serving to stay in the set, wasn’t an ideal start. A backhand floating long didn’t help much either. Paire was charitable in his donation of three successive forehand errors, but Andújar couldn’t convert the game point, instead pulling a forehand wide to take it to deuce. Set point arrived following a slashing forehand return winner off the French racquet, and Paire was ahead 6-2 after Andújar pushed a backhand out of court.

It took until game six for a break point to be faced in set two, and again it was the Spaniard under pressure. A forehand hit long and a netted backhand produced a pair of break points. A punishing backhand return from Paire, to a second serve from Andújar, forced an error and a 4-2 advantage for France.

5-2 eventuated, but only after Paire faced his first break point of the match. The Frenchman won the first point with a wonderful lob, and an ace gave him 30-15. From there, a double fault and a wild backhand supplied Andújar his chance to be at least competitive in the final. Sadly for him a backhand failed to clear the net, and Paire won the final two points as well, a backhand pass sealing the game.

Andújar held serve, requiring Paire to serve for the match at 6-2 5-3. 

An ace was the perfect start. A wide Spanish forehand made it 30-15, and an ace brought up two match points.

A forehand winner gave Benoit Paire a comprehensive 6-2 6-3 victory, and his long awaited second ATP Tour title.