TennisSection previews the 2021 Acapulco Open as Stefanos Tsitsipas (1) meets Benoit Paire in the First Round on Tuesday March 16th, 2021.
Can Stefanos Tsitsipas get his excellent 2021 season back on track after a shocking early loss in Marseille last week? Or will it be the unpredictable Frenchman Benoit Paire causing a stunning upset? This is a high-quality First Round matchup and the level of tennis will undoubtedly be very high and the fans have a lot to look forward to. Who will get the win and advance to the Round of 16 here at the 2021 Acapulco Open in Mexico?
Stefanos Tsitsipas has been having a true breakout season in 2021, announcing to the world that he is finally reach to live up to the huge expectations that have been placed on his shoulders. Touted as a star from the time he arrived on the ATP Tour, he is showing that he is ready to compete with the top players in the big tournaments. After a great start to the year by winning all his matches at the ATP Cup, he stunned Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open, en route to the Semi-Finals. He followed that up with another Semi-Final appearance in Rotterdam. Unfortunately, he was unable to sustain that form, losing to Pierre-Hugues Herbert in Marseille. He will be eager to get back on track here, and is considered one of the biggest threats to lift the title here. He begins his 2021 Acapulco Open campaign against Benoit Paire.
Benoit Paire is currently ranked #29 in the ATP world rankings. In stark contrast to his opponent Stefanos Tsitsipas, he has had a very poor start to the 2021 season. He has played six matches for the year, losing five of them, only winning four sets in total. His form has not been the only thing that has been poor, as he was sanctioned in Argentina for unsportsmanlike conduct and lack of effort. Paire has always been a very talented player, but those issues are the main reason why he hasn’t been able to reach his full potential. If he is fully focused then he is always a threat to the top players, but those types of performances are very rare these days. He will be hoping that he can turn his season around here at the 2021 Acapulco Open, but unfortunately has been given the most difficult draw.
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Benoit Paire have played against each other twice before in their careers, with the head to head series tied at 1-1. Given the form that both men are in, I can say with certainty that this will be a win for the young Greek superstar. If he is focused and in good form, Paire has more than enough quality to provide a stern test to Tsitsipas, but he has not displayed any of that so far this year. The Frenchman seems to be struggling with motivation, and he needs address that immediately if not he will soon be out of the top 50. Stefanos Tsitsipas will be pleased with his draw here at the 2021 Acapulco Open, and expect him to advance here without too many issues.
Free Tennis Preview and Prediction: Stefanos Tsitsipas to win.
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