#open de roanne auvergne-rhône-alpes

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Roanne Ch F: Benjamin Bonzi def. Matteo Martineau 7-5, 6-1 Match Stats

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M. Martineau initially started the match well and aggressive, but B. Bonzi struck back when the former might have gotten some scoreboard pressures. Thanks to the latter's groundstrokes, his aggression pressed M. Martineau until he became more passive in the second set, staying stable until being able to serve it out. As a result, B. Bonzi created overwhelmingly 10 break points while M. Martineau was unable to create any, converting 30% of them throughout the match.

Furthermore, B. Bonzi also appeared solid in his service games. Even though both players scored 7 aces, he almost had a perfect first serve winning percentage with 92%, which helped him alleviate some pressure on his serves. In contrast, M. Martineau's second serves became more vulnerable under pressure, only winning 40% of his second serve points despite only double-faulting once.

This marked B. Bonzi's second Challenger-level title since the Winnipeg Challenger back in summer, propelling his rank to 142 live by the end of the tournament while M. Martineau's maiden Challenger title had to wait as he became a three-time career runner-up at this point. Their next tournament will be the St. Brieuc Challenger, which was moved from the indoor swing earlier this year, where he will face Dino Prizmic in the first round, while M. Martineau will face Calvin Hemery in the first round. This should be fun and delivering as well!

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📸 🎥 ATP official website

However, the second set became a one-way traffic as the consequence of M. Martineau being passive, while B. Bonzi remained consistent or even increased his aggression. After holding his serves to 1-0, B. Bonzi continued by foiling both of M. Martineau's game points, which included a forehand winner to force the deuce before forcing the latter's shots to err for the break to 2-0. Subsequently, B. Bonzi held to 3-0 despite only conceding one point earlier in the game.

M. Martineau might have put himself on the board with a service game hold to 3-1 despite B. Bonzi's winner starting the said game. However, after the latter held his serves to 4-1, the former's preceding errors created B. Bonzi's break point before a backhand error converted it to 5-1. As a result, B. Bonzi earned his chance to serve for the championship, which he succeeded (6-1) to secure his second Challenger-level title of the year despite conceding one point earlier in the game.

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📸 ATP official website

The Challenger finals then continued in the Roanne Challenger, where Benjamin Bonzi, who took out fifth seed Luca van Assche 6-4, 6-1 thanks to a stellar performance, took on Matteo Martineau, who reached his third Challenger final of the year after defeating Hugo Grenier 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-2 after surviving the scenic route. The latter might have had fair chances at the start this match, but the former found his aggression to press the latter further from the baseline.

M. Martineau initially started with a fourth-shot forehand winner before he was 2 points ahead at the start of this match, but B. Bonzi won the next few points and held his serves to 1-0. B. Bonzi might have scored a down-the-line winner back in the sixth game even if M. Martineau held it 3-3, but this partial servefest became a question for M. Martineau's pressure points handling when B. Bonzi's backhand winners set up his 2-point lead before he had several set points, including a backhand pass to secure his initial set point, but they were foiled before M. Martineau's working volley secured the massive service game hold to 5-5.

Subsequently, B. Bonzi smoothly held his serves to 6-5. Also starting the next game with a forehand pass to M. Martineau's volley error to set another 2-point lead, B. Bonzi also fumbled M. Martineau's game points, including through several forehand winners before somehow having set points, which the latest one was converted due to the latter's backhand error, breaking for the first set 7-5 to put himself ahead in this match.

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Roanne Ch R2: Cameron Norrie [1] def. Stefano Travaglia 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 Match Stats

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S. Travaglia had his moments back in the first set as C. Norrie had difficulties to find his range until the second set, where the British first seed became more aggressive. By then, not only he went after the former's baseline game but also found his lines to set the tone in the third set before dominating the flow until the end of the match. From here, even though both players had 11 chances to break, C. Norrie converted 6 of his break points throughout all three sets of the match.

Furthermore, despite a sloppy start to the first set, C. Norrie turned out to have better service games throughout the match. Scoring 10 aces than S. Travaglia's 6, C. Norrie won 74% of his first serve points, which helped him to get away from troubles at times. However, his 2 double faults might have highlighted the risk of his second serves even though he won 9% more of his second serve points than S. Travaglia throughout the match.

In the quarterfinals, C. Norrie will face the winner between Jurij Rodionov or fifth seed Luca van Assche, which will be played later today (local time). This could be another tricky test depending on their rally tolerance and how they executed their final shots, but this could also test their general balance under pressure. This might be a decent test for C. Norrie, but nothing is impossible!

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📸 🎥 ATP official website

C. Norrie then set up the tone of the third set with a longer rally that ended with his forehand winner before more points got shorter and he held his serve to 1-0. This became crucial once he controlled the range, necessarily punishing S. Travaglia's non-balance with his trademark forehand down-the-line winner to create his break point before the unseeded Italian's cross-court backhand error completed the early break (2-0). Despite surviving a break point, the British first seed consolidated his position with a 3-0 lead.

C. Norrie's groundstrokes became even more convincing as this set went into a one-way traffic, where his forehand winner set up a one-point lead before he doubled the break to 4-0. Surviving another break point made due to his error with another massive hold to 5-0, C. Norrie took advantage of S. Travaglia's preceding errors and fired a forehand winner to create his match point, ultimately serving the third-set bagel (6-0) to secure his spot in the quarterfinals.

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📸 ATP official website

However, C. Norrie ended up starting the second set afresh and tried to attack S. Travaglia further, successfully bring the latter off-balance despite his best efforts to turn this match around. After securing a crucial opening service game hold (1-0), the British first seed broke early (2-0) due to S. Travaglia's frequent third-shot errors, but even if he survived a forehand volley pass from the unseeded Italian moments after his backhand shank, he still strengthened his position with a service game hold to 3-0.

In the next game, S. Travaglia tried to hang on through forcing a deuce with a forehand winner as he neutralized C. Norrie's break point, but the break of serve was unavoidable due to the former's +1 forehand errors (4-0). C. Norrie somehow minimized the gap through a working pass, but S. Travaglia's forehand down-the-line winner completed the break-back (4-1) at the game that started with the latter's forehand winner. S. Travaglia then continued with a service game hold to 5-2, but an erratic service game, marked by his prevalent forehand errors, only caused C. Norrie to break for the second set 6-2, thus forcing the deciding set to determine the winner.

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📸 ATP official website

The evening session in the Roanne Challenger was headlined by first seed Cameron Norrie, who previously stunned qualifier Etienne Donnet 6-1, 6-2 in a confident showing, taking on Stefano Travaglia, who defeated Antoine Escoffier 7-6(4), 6-3 in the first round. While some would regard the flow of this match as chaotic, only their final shots determined how successful their approach was, given the necessity of their consistent offensives throughout the match.

S. Travaglia began this match aggressively through his deep returns, but C. Norrie started to find some ways out through his intuitive volleys to minimize the gap the game after the former smoothly held his serves to 1-0. Somehow, another series of third-shot errors from the British first seed caused S. Travaglia's early break (2-0), followed by the unseeded Italian's consolidation to 3-0.

Two games later, S. Travaglia found his lines as his forehand down-the-line winners not only forced a deuce at one point but also secured his other break point in hopes to double his break advantage, but C. Norrie still held his serves to 4-2. Somehow, the unseeded Italian earned the opportunity to serve for the first set, which he succeeded (6-3) to put himself a set away, technically, from the on-paper upset.

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Roanne Ch R1: Cameron Norrie [1] def. Etienne Donnet [Q] 6-1, 6-2 Match Stats

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Although E. Donnet had some parts of his raw potential being displayed in the beginning of the match, it took some time for C. Norrie to brush off some rust and hit more confidently as soon as he scored a massive hold to 2-1 in the first set. Since then, the British first seed dictated the flow, bringing E. Donnet off-balance as he went after the latter's groundstrokes when he made the French qualifier to step further back. This way, even if both players had 5 break points throughout the match, C. Norrie was able to convert 80% of his break chances.

Furthermore, C. Norrie's solid service game also reflected his dominating presence in this match. Scoring 8 aces than E. Donnet's 3, the British first seed won 81% of his first serve points as he controlled the flow from, where even though he double-faulted 4 times than the French qualifier's 1, C. Norrie was still able to win 45% of his second serve points compared to E. Donnet's 8%, making the latter's second serves even more vulnerable to attacks.

In tomorrow's second round, C. Norrie will face Stefano Travaglia, who knocked out Antoine Escoffier 7-6(4), 6-3 in a more competitive encounter. While the former's real test on-paper should come from the quarterfinals, S. Travaglia's offensives and frequent adaptability could not be overlooked, which mostly tested C. Norrie's range as they navigate the flow from the baseline. This could still be interesting, depending on their pace and final shot execution as well!

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📸 🎥 ATP official website

Even though E. Donnet tried to step up, C. Norrie was still at another level as this match continued. After two consecutive holds, C. Norrie's cross-court backhand generated his break point before he broke to 2-1, consolidating his lead to 3-1 despite E. Donnet's fair chances.

Three games later, C. Norrie made E. Donnet pay his errors as the British first seed went after the latter's forehands, ultimately doubling the break once again to 5-2. As a result, C. Norrie earned an opportunity to serve for the match, which he succeeded (6-2) as his final forehand turned out to be in, thus securing his spot in tomorrow's second round.

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📸 ATP official website

In the Roanne Challenger, the night session then kicked off with first seed Cameron Norrie, who returned to the courts for the first time since July (due to an injury), taking on qualifier and fifth-year University of Louisville student Etienne Donnet, who previously defeated tenth (qualifying) seed Jiri Vesely 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in an intriguing clash back in the second qualifying round. While the qualifying rounds revealed his intriguing potential, C. Norrie was proven too solid in most portions of this match.

After two consecutive service game holds, E. Donnet started the third game with a rare offensive volley as he paved the way before creating his earliest break point, but the British first seed still massively held his serves to 2-1. This made the former pay as he went through E. Donnet's groundstrokes, with a cross-court forehand winner opening the path before the French qualifier's backhand error secured the break to 3-1. Even if a forehand winner created his initial break-back point, C. Norrie consolidated his lead with a service game hold to 4-1.

Afterward, C. Norrie kicked off the next game with a cross-court forehand winner as he tried to bring E. Donnet off-balance, ultimately doubling his break advantage to 5-1. Even if a +1 forehand error negated his earliest set point, C. Norrie was still able to seal the first-set breadstick (6-1) as he asserted his dominance in this match.