Paire Fights Back Against Gasquet In Metz

Benoit Paire beat countryman Richard Gasquet for only the second time in their nine-match FedEx ATP Head2Head series on Wednesday at the Moselle Open in Metz.

Paire, a two-time ATP Tour titlist this season, won 86 per cent (36/42) of his service points and fought back to reach the quarter-finals at the ATP 250 tennis tournament 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Gasquet led their head-to-head contest 7-1 before their second-round meeting in Metz. Frenchmen have won eight of the past 10 Metz titles, and Paire will face another Frenchman in Gregoire Barrere, who beat Antoine Hoang 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-2 in a battle of French wild cards, for a place in the semi-finals.

France had a mixed day in the two other singles matches that involved home hopefuls. Three-time champion Gilles Simon dismissed Romanian Marius Copil 6-3, 6-4 and will meet Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia for a place in the quarter-finals.

But #NextGenATP Frenchman Ugo Humbert fell to German qualifier Yannick Maden 6-4, 6-7(8), 6-4. Maden, who lost to Rafael Nadal in the second round of Roland Garros, will next meet second seed Nikoloz Basilashvili. In the final match of the day, Serbian Filip Krajinovic upset fifth seed Fernando Verdasco 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 and will next meet Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego or fourth seed Lucas Pouille of France.