Marseille 2022: Aslan Karatsev vs Benjamin Bonzi preview, head-to-head & prediction | Open 13 Provence

Match details

Fixture: (4) Aslan Karatsev vs (9) Benjamin Bonzi.

Date: 18 February 2022.

Tournament: Open 13 Provence 2022.

Round: Quarterfinals.

Venue: Marseille, France.

Category: ATP 250.

Surface: Indoor Hardcourt.

Match timing: Not before 3 pm local time, 2 pm GMT, 9 am ET, 7.30 pm IST.

Prize money: €545,200.

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | India - Tennis TV.

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Aslan Karatsev vs Benjamin Bonzi preview

Fourth seed Aslan Karatsev will meet ninth seed and home hope Benjamin Bonzi on Friday, with a spot in the semifinals of the Open 13 Provence up for grabs.

The Russian has had mixed fortunes so far this season. He kicked off 2022 on a grand note, winning the title in Sydney. However, the World No. 15 failed to continue the momentum thereafter.

After progressing to the third round of the Australian Open, the 28-year-old went on a three-match losing streak. He exited Melbourne after losing to Adrian Mannarino and succumbed in his openers in Pune and Rotterdam.

He has come to Marseille desperate to rediscover his touch and build some rhythm.

Karatsev was subjected to a stern test by 18-year-old Holger Rune in the second round but managed to fend off set points to secure a 6-3, 7-6(1) win. The win would have boosted his confidence and he will look to build on it when he meets Bonzi.

Benjamin Bonzi in action at 2021 French Open

Benjamin Bonzi is a former French Open junior champion in doubles, but has failed to translate that into success on the senior tour, reaching a career-high ranking of 60. He mostly plies his trade in the qualifying rounds of tour-level tournaments and the ATP Challenger circuit, where he has enjoyed plenty of success.

In a breakthrough 2021 season, the 25-year-old won as many as six titles at that level, which propelled him to his career-high ranking in November.

Having started the new season with yet another Challenger title in Cherbourg, he is eager to make an impact in Marseille this week. Bonzi showed some fantastic ball-striking to bag straight-sets wins over Kamil Majchrzak and Pierre-Hugues Herbert on his way to his first-ever quarterfinal on the tour.

The Frenchman will look to keep his run going when he takes the court against Karatsev.

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Aslan Karatsev vs Benjamin Bonzi head-to-head

Karatsev and Bonzi have never squared off on the tour before, so they are currently tied at 0-0 in the head-to-head.

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Aslan Karatsev vs Benjamin Bonzi prediction

Aslan Karatsev strikes the ball at 2022 Australian Open

Aslan Karatsev is the favorite to win this contest due to his ranking and experience. He strikes the ball hard and flat with effortless power and his serve is another strong element of his game.

However, Karatsev is also guilty of not being able to control his aggression at times, leading to a high number of unforced errors. This was extremely evident in his recent losses.

Bonzi could pose a stern challenge to Karatsev, who is trying hard to steady the ship and find some consistency. The Frenchman has been playing brilliant first-strike tennis this week. He served 10 aces against Majchrzak, winning 79% of his first serve points.

Although Bonzi's ace count dipped to five against Herbert in the second round, he still managed to grab 83% of the points behind his first serve.

Bonzi also has excellent speed and court coverage. He will look to draw Karatsev to the net and win points with his spectacular passing shots.

Karatsev, on his part, needs to have a good serving day and keep the rallies short. If he doesn't give away too many free points through errors, he should be able ti advance to his second semifinal of the season.

Prediction: Aslan Karatsev to win in three sets.