Aurélien Canot, Media365, published on Friday November 8, 2024 at 9:17 p.m.
Benjamin Bonzi, who has not found himself on the last step in an ATP tournament since February 2023, will play his third final on the circuit on Saturday against Cameron Norrie after Pune and Marseille. On Friday, the Gardois, who will return to the Top 100 on Monday, overthrew the American Michelsen in three sets and thus continued his impressive series.
Bonzi, Bonzi, Bonzi! Back at the level which allowed him for a time to occupy 42nd place in the world and the status of French number 1, Benjamin Bonzi (28 years old) is never where we expect him. And for his big return to the main circuit and while he had to go through qualifying to have the right to defend his chances in the big picture, this week in Metz, here is the Gardois in the final of an ATP tournament for the third of his career after his defeats at the start of 2023 in Pune (against Griekspoor) then immediately at home in Marseille (against Hurkacz). On cloud nine since his tenth Challenger title won in Roanne (a week before adding an eleventh, in Saint-Brieuc), the protégé of Lionel Zimbler, who has also been collaborating for a short time with Laurent Raymond, is still not there. went back down. And Friday, for its first semi-final at this level since the Open 13 2023, “La Bonz'” continued its impressive series by signing at the expense of Alex Michelsen, 44th in the world, its twentieth success on its… 21 last matches.
Bonzi is one (new) victory away from his first title on the ATP circuit
Certainly, the American who corrected Hurkacz at the Accor Arena last week was not in the form of his life, mainly due to an injury to his left leg which seemed to diminish him throughout the match. . The winner this week in Moselle of Roberto Bautista Agut, Casper Ruud (his first career victory against a Top 10) and Quentin Halys nevertheless had to fight. Trailing a set to nothing, the current 124th in the world, now assured of re-entering the Top 100 on Monday, got back together by scoring a 6-0 against Michelsen. In the final set, Bonzi took the lead. He nevertheless had to wait until the very end of the round (“a horror” in his eyes in the face of an opponent who could no longer serve and practically everything was engaged with spoons) to validate this new victory and thus offer himself a third possibility , Saturday against the Briton Cameron Norrie, previously defeated Corentin Moutet, to win his first trophy on the ATP circuit. He would join the eleven already in possession (and acquired in Challenger) of the tricolor hit of the moment.
