Troicki Beats Paire To Reach Antalya Quarter-finals

Viktor Troicki recorded his biggest match win for 21 months on Wednesday for a place in the Turkish Airlines Open Antalya quarter-finals. The Serbian qualifier knocked out top seed and World No. 32 Benoit Paire of France 7-6(4), 7-6(5) in one hour and 40 minutes.

“Those were some of the toughest conditions I’ve ever played in,” Troicki told ATPTour.com. “I’m very happy that I got through and managed to win in two sets. I also want to thank the crowd for showing up and supporting us. [The heat was] tough for the players and for the fans as well.”

The former World No. 12, who missed three months of last season due to a back injury and competes this week at No. 193 in the ATP Rankings, notched the last Top 20 win of his career over then No. 16-ranked John Isner in October 2017 at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

The 30-year-old Paire, winner of ATP Tour titles this year at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Marrakech (d. Andujar) and at the Open Parc Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Lyon (d. Auger-Aliassime), hit 11 aces and won 29 of his 34 first-service points against Troicki.

Troicki will next play Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic, who knocked out sixth-seeded Frenchman Ugo Humbert 6-4, 7-5 in 86 minutes.