Bonzi continues his 'Opelka October' with Brussels win
Benjamin Bonzi successfully blunted Reilly Opelka’s big-serving game for the second time this month on Monday at the BNP Paribas Fortis European Open.
Just 11 days after Bonzi downed the six-foot, 11-inch American in straight sets in Shanghai, the No. 53 in the PIF ATP Rankings repeated that result with a 6-4, 6-4 victory in Brussels. Bonzi withstood 13 aces from Opelka and forged a decisive five-game streak from 3-3 in the opening set en route to a 70-minute triumph at the indoor hard-court ATP 250.
“Of course it’s easier when you played someone the past week, and I knew how he would serve,” said Bonzi in his on-court interview. “But it’s completely different conditions here than Shanghai. It was way slower in China. Here it is pretty fast. It’s indoors, so his serve is way more efficient.
“I’m very happy with the way I managed to return his serve and play the points when I succeeded in putting the ball back in the court. It was a great first match here.”
Now 14-19 for the season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, Bonzi will take on sixth seed Sebastian Baez or his countryman Valentin Royer in the second round in Brussels. The 29-year-old is looking to build on an impressive record at indoor events: He finished his 2024 season with a 21-1 run indoors (including ATP Challenger Tour events), highlighted by lifting his maiden ATP Tour crown in Metz.
Marcos Giron was the other first-round winner on Monday in Brussels. The American eased past Mattia Bellucci 6-3, 6-4 to set a meeting with fourth seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Giron has not won a set across two previous Lexus ATP Head2Head clashes with the Spaniard, although they have not met since the 2023 US Open.
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