Paire fined $16,500 for ATP meltdown

WASHINGTON: France’s Benoit Paire was fined $16,500 by the ATP Tour on Wednesday after an epic meltdown at the end of his first-round match at the ATP Washington Open.

Paire lost to Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 on Tuesday at the hardcourt tuneup event for the US Open.Down 4-2 in the final set, the 55th-ranked Frenchman netted an overhead smash to surrender a break and a 5-2 edge. He smashed his racquet on the ground four times and kicked it in frustration.

Baghdatis tried to calm Paire but he hurled two more racquets onto the court, where a ball person collected them.After a less-than peak effort on the final point of the match, he congratulated Baghdatis then walked off to a chorus of boos, blowing the crowd kisses as he departed. The fine, more than double the prize money Paire made for his appearance, was issued by the tour for an audible obscenity, unsportsmanlike conduct and a lack of giving best effort.