Benjamin Bonzi successfully blunted Reilly Opelka’s big-serving game for the second time this month at the BNP Paribas Fortis European Open on Monday.
Just eleven days after Bonzi defeated the 6-foot-11 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 five-game decisive streak of 3-3 in the opening set en route to a 70-minute victory at the ATP 250 indoor hard court.
“Of course it’s easier if you played against someone last week, and I knew how he would serve,” Bonzi said in his on-court interview. “But the conditions here are completely different than in Shanghai. In China it was much slower. Here it is quite fast. It is indoors, so its storage is much more efficient.”
“I’m very happy with the way I was able to return his serve and score the points when I managed to get the ball back into 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 face sixth seed Sebastian Baez or his compatriot Valentin Royer in the second round in Brussels. The 29-year-old is looking to build on an impressive record at indoor events, finishing his 2024 season with a 21-1 run indoors (including ATP Challenger Tour events), culminating in his first ATP Tour crown in Metz.
Marcos Giron was the other winner of the first round in Brussels on Monday. The American eased past Mattia Bellucci 6-3, 6-4 to set up a meeting with fourth seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Giron has not won a set in two previous Lexus ATP Head2Head clashes with the Spaniard, although they have not met since the 2023 US Open.
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