BRAUNSCHWEIG, July 2, 2021

World No. 46 Benoit Paire will play his first ATP Challenger Tour tournament since 2019, as the Frenchman accepted a wild card into the main draw of the €66,640 Sparkassen Open in Braunschweig, Germany next week.

Two years ago, Paire, a winner of six ATP Challenger singles titles, fell in the second round of the Sophia Antipolis Challenger to Roberto Marcora from Italy. The 32-year-old lost his opening match at Wimbledon to Argentine Diego Schwartzman and will now return to the clay courts in Braunschweig.

German tennis hope Rudolf Molleker and 2017 champion Nicola Kuhn of Spain also received a wild card. Qualifying wild card were awarded to local favourites Marvin Möller of Hamburg and Mats Rosenkranz from Essen as well as to Petros Tsitsipas from Greece.

“Yannick Hanfmann and Daniel Altmaier will also come to Braunschweig,” tournament director Volker Jäcke said. Jiri Vesely from the Czech Republic, Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania and Germany’s Oscar Otte, who pushed former World No. 1 Andy Murray on Centre Court at Wimbledon, will also be part of the line-up.

The qualifying of the ATP Challenger 90 event will start on Sunday. Up to 750 spectators are allowed to attend the matches each day.