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Match details
Fixture: (WC) Andy Murray vs Benoit Paire
Date: 15 June 2021
Tournament: Queen's Club cinch Championships 2021
Round: First round (Round of 32)
Venue: London, United Kingdom
Category: ATP 500
Surface: Grass
Prize money: €1,290,135
Match timing: Approx. 4 pm local time, 3 pm GMT, 11 am EST, 8.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Andy Murray vs Benoit Paire preview
Andy Murray will return to grasscourt action for the first time since 2018 when he takes on Benoit Paire in the opening round of the 2021 Queen's Club Championships.
Murray, a wild-card entrant in London, will be playing his first singles match since his defeat to Andrey Rublev at Rotterdam back in March. The Brit is a five-time champion at the prestigious Queen's Club, and is also the defending champion in doubles - a discipline he will not take part in this year.
Murray is currently ranked 124th in the world, a number which arguably doesn't reflect his grasscourt abilities. But the two-time Wimbledon champion is woefully short on match practice, having played just three tour matches all year.
With Wimbledon about a fortnight away, Murray will be hoping to get as many matches under his belt as possible at Queen's. But the 34-year-old has his task cut out in that aspect as he has been presented with a tricky draw.
Even if he manages to beat Benoit Paire, who is himself an unpredictable player, Murray could find himself crossing swords with top seed Matteo Berrettini in the second round.
Paire, on his part, has played 17 matches this year, so he has plenty of match practice coming in. That said, the Frenchman has lost 15 of those matches, so he is extremely short on form and confidence right now.
Paire is also on a five-match losing streak, dating back to his second-round loss against Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Madrid Masters. The 32-year-old last played on grass in 2019 at Wimbledon, where he made the fourth round.
Andy Murray vs Benoit Paire head-to-head
Andy Murray leads Benoit Paire 2-0 in the head-to-head. They have played on grass once before; the Brit defeated Paire in straight sets at Wimbledon 2017.
Andy Murray vs Benoit Paire prediction
Benoit Paire's poor recent form make him the underdog in almost every match he plays these days. But the Frenchman will fancy his chances against Andy Murray, who has battled not just COVID-19 but also a spate of injuries - including a groin injury he suffered while sleeping - of late.
If the Brit is feeling up to it on Tuesday though, he does have plenty of tricks in his bag to get the better of Paire. It would be interesting to see how Murray's game, especially his return, operates against the Frenchman.
Known to be an inconsistent server, Paire could have a difficult time against a returner of Murray's caliber. And that could well swing the pendulum the Brit's way.
Prediction: Andy Murray to win in three sets.
