"Benoît is one of the most difficult players to beat because he has a lot of talent and he feels tennis very well. So I'm really happy," commented the 23-year-old Greek, semi-finalist last year in Melbourne.
He will face Taylor Fritz (22nd) who beat Spaniard Roberto Bautista (18th) 6-0, 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 to finally reach the round of 16 in Melbourne after three eliminations successive in the 3rd round.
"We've shared the courts since we were little kids and he's improved a lot lately," Tsitsipas said of his next opponent.
Paire had already reached the 3rd round twice (2014 and 2017) in Melbourne, without ever passing it.
Last year, when he was psychologically affected by the health measures linked to the Covid pandemic, he lost in the first round.
© 2022 AFP