After several months of generating controversy on the court, French tennis player Benoit Paire reminded fans why he belongs in the top flight of the sport with a stunning Swiss Open display.

Paire pulled out what will no doubt be one of the shots of the year against Slovakia's Jozef Kovalik in their first round match at the Swiss Open on his way to a 6-3 7-6 (7-2) win.

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In control from the off, it was a beautifully weighted drop shot that had the crowd in Gstaad in awe as it dropped just over the net, but with enough spin to bounce back over to Paire's side.

The win is an encouraging sign for Paire, who until his Swiss Open victory had won just two ATP matches so far this year.

The outspoken Frenchman saved all eight of his break points to maintain a perfect service record against Kovalik, which set up a second round match against Australia's Marc Polmans.

"You're kidding me," the commentator said.

"That is absolutely outrageous from Benoit Paire."

Paire has endured a difficult season not made any easier by his propensity to lash out while on court.

He was notably warned by the chair umpire and heckled by the Wimbledon crowd in his first round loss for not giving enough effort.

Earlier in the year he was banned from Olympic selection by the French Tennis Federation over his behaviour.

He lashed out at Australian Open organisers over quarantine arrangements, before later declaring tennis was no fun without crowds after a loss at the Chile Open.

However fans were pleased to see him competing at the level he's capable of in Gstaad.

Injured Berrettini out of Tokyo Games

Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini of Italy has pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics due to a thigh injury.

The world No.8 had his left thigh bandaged during his defeat by top-ranked Novak Djokovic of Serbia in the final of the grass court grand slam earlier this month.

"I am extremely disappointed to announce my withdrawal from the Tokyo Olympic Games," the 25-year-old said on Instagram.

"I had an MRI scan yesterday on the thigh injury I sustained during Wimbledon and was informed I will not be able to compete for a couple of weeks."

The Italian National Olympic Committee said they would not be able to get a replacement player for Berrettini as the International Tennis Federation's deadline to name new athletes had passed on Friday.

"Representing Italy is the biggest honour for me so it is devastating to miss the Olympics," Berrettini added.

The tennis event at the Tokyo Olympics has been hit by a series of high-profile withdrawals in recent days.

Some of the sport's biggest names, including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Stan Wawrinka and Simona Halep have already announced their decision to skip the Games.

With AAP

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