Benoit Paire slams Noah Rubin after loss

Benoit Paire lost his cool on and off court as he went down in straight sets to Noah Rubin, the Frenchman smashing his racquet in frustration before rubbishing his opponent's ability after their Australian Open first-round encounter.

Paire, seeded 17th, lost a close match against the 328th-ranked American - who is a former Wimbledon boys champion - on three tie-breaks, Rubin coming through 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-5) on Monday.

The 26-year-old Paire vented his frustration on an innocuous first-set point when trailing 4-3, sending a first serve into the net before smashing his racquet against the court.

His mood did not improve after the contest either, and Paire stated that it was his own performance rather than that of Rubin which accounted for the surprise result.

"There is not much to say except it was a catastrophe," Paire said.

"He's not a good player, but I was very bad.

"Yes, he's not a very good player. I was worse than him."