Bonzi blunts Opelka’s serve again in Brussels
Fresh off a Shanghai upset, Benjamin Bonzi confronts Reilly Opelka once more, adapting to indoor speed for a straight-sets victory that hints at seasonal revival.
Under the enclosed hum of the BNP Paribas Fortis European Open, Benjamin Bonzi turned familiarity into firepower, dismissing Reilly Opelka 6-4, 6-4 in a brisk 70-minute duel on the indoor hard courts. The No. 53 in the PIF ATP Rankings absorbed 13 aces from the six-foot-11 American but sparked a decisive five-game streak from 3-3 in the opener, his returns chipping away at the towering serves to claim this ATP 250 opener. Just 11 days after straight-sets success in Shanghai, the Frenchman showcased tactical poise, the arena’s quick pace amplifying the tension as each point echoed with potential breaks.
Shanghai echoes shape indoor adjustments
Bonzi entered with blueprints from their slower Shanghai clash, where outdoor conditions dulled Opelka’s power, but Brussels demanded fresh recalibrations to the faster indoor surface. He prioritized deep underspin returns to neutralize the aces, forcing the American into crosscourt rallies where Bonzi’s baseline steadiness pulled him wide with inside-out forehands. That prior encounter planted subtle doubts, allowing the 29-year-old to transition defense into offense, his down-the-line passes skidding low to exploit the court’s bounce and disrupt one–two patterns.
The crowd’s murmurs built as Bonzi held serve with focus, his slices biting sharper indoors, turning what could have been a serving clinic into a measured grind. This adaptation not only blunted Opelka‘s efficiency but also opened angles for breaks, the Frenchman’s footwork quickening under the lights to match the venue’s tempo.
“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.”
Indoor streak revives seasonal momentum
Now 14-19 for the season, per the ATP Win/Loss Index, Bonzi draws on his 2024 indoor dominance—a 21-1 run capped by his first ATP Tour title in Metz—to fuel this 2025 pivot. The enclosed atmosphere suits his patient tactics, where quicker decisions reward aggressive returning over raw power, easing the pressure of a middling campaign. Against Opelka, he forged points from neutral scraps, the second set mirroring the first’s tenacity as cheers swelled with each hold.
Surfaces like these quicken his game, slices landing heavy and forehands carving space, transforming potential slumps into building blocks for rankings climbs. This win positions him to extend the surge, the tour’s psychology bending toward underdogs who master the nuances.
Second-round paths test resilience
Ahead awaits a clash with sixth seed Sebastian Baez or countryman Valentin Royer, encounters that could stretch Bonzi’s form and bridge his season’s gaps. The European indoor swing offers intimacy for tactical depth, where his return prowess might unsettle seeded consistency. Elsewhere in Brussels, Marcos Giron advanced steadily, easing past Mattia Bellucci 6-3, 6-4 to face fourth seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Giron trails 0-2 in their head-to-head, winless in sets since the 2023 US Open, yet his all-court steadiness thrives on these swift courts, hinting at upsets through exploited lapses. Bonzi’s trajectory intersects these stories, the tournament alive with adaptations that rewrite arcs, pointing toward year-end fire as indoor lights illuminate fresh possibilities.
