Andy Murray Suffers Early Exit at Open Sud de France as Benoit Paire Stages Comeback

Former world No. 1 Andy Murray faced another disappointing defeat as he exited the Open Sud de France in Montpellier in the opening round. The British tennis player had a strong start, winning the first set and appearing to be in control of the match.

However, his French opponent Benoit Paire mounted a remarkable comeback, securing his first Top 50 win since the 2022 Australian Open. After a grueling battle lasting two hours and 43 minutes, Paire emerged victorious with a 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 scoreline at the ATP 250 event.

Murray’s recent run of early exits continued, following his elimination in both the Brisbane International and the Australian Open after his first match in each tournament.

The match began with Murray taking an early lead in the first set, breaking Paire’s serve twice and comfortably wrapping it up 6-2 in just 38 minutes.

Notably, Paire, ranked 112th in the world, quickly turned the tables by breaking Murray’s serve in the opening game of the second set. Although Murray managed to level the set at 4-4 after breaking back, it ultimately went to a tie-break.

In an intense tie-break, Murray fought valiantly, winning three consecutive points to bring the score to 6-5 in his favor. Despite saving a set point, Murray lost the next crucial point on his serve, allowing Paire to claim the tie-break 7-5 and restore parity in the match.

The decisive set saw an early exchange of breaks, but the seventh game was marred by controversy. A close call went in Paire’s favor, causing frustration for Murray. Paire took advantage, opening up a 5-3 lead and eventually securing the victory with a 6-3 scoreline.

Murray, who has hinted at potential retirement this year if he is not enjoying the sport, has had a challenging start to 2024. Alongside his early exits from previous tournaments, he stumbled against Grigor Dimitrov in Brisbane and lost in straight sets to Tomas Martin Etcheverry at the Australian Open.

Despite the disappointment, Murray’s fans remain hopeful that he will bounce back and regain his form in the upcoming tournaments.