French Benjamin Bonzi reacts during the final against Britain’s Cameron Norrie (not pictured) at the ATP 250 Moselle Open final match tournament at Les Arenes sports centre in Metz, northeastern France, on November 9, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AFP
Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi took his first ATP title on Saturday (November 9, 2024) when he beat Briton Cameron Norrie 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 in the final in Metz.
The 28-year-old Bonzi had climbed to number 42 in the world in 2023 as he reached two ATP finals, but had not won a match in the main draw of an ATP event this year. He had rebuilt his confidence with a string of titles on the second-tier Challenger Tour.
After coming through qualifying in Metz, the 124th-ranked Bonzi dropped just one set on his way to the final and eliminated second seed Casper Ruud in the second round, a first victory over a top-10 player.
In the final, 57th-ranked Norrie broke first to lead 4-3 but Bonzi hit straight back for 4-4. The next game was pivotal as Bonzi saved 10 break points to go back ahead. He then saved a set point before winning the tiebreak.
In the second set, Bonzi gradually silenced Norrie, who, a little provocatively, punctuated his crucial points with cries of “Allez”, as he had done in the semi-final against another French player, Corentin Moutet.
Bonzi broke in the third game of the second set and protected his lead as Norrie failed to force even a deuce in the Frenchman’s last three service games.
Published – November 11, 2024 02:18 am IST
