Benjamin Bonzi will meet Ugo Humbert in the First Round of the 2022 Moselle Open. The match will be played on Wednesday September 21st, 2022 at 9:30am EST.
Benjamin Bonzi is unseeded here at the Moselle Open and is ranked 53rd on the ATP Tour. The Frenchman has really been solid over the past two years, establishing himself on the Tour. He has dominated the lower level and Challenger Tours over his career, winning two titles this year and doing decently on the main tour. He reached the Quarter-Finals in Winston-Salem and the Semis in Marseille, and will be looking for success here at home against his countryman Ugo Humbert who has been struggling. The pair met at the US Open recently with Bonzi getting the win, which will lead him to believe that he can replicate that here in Metz.
Ugo Humbert really has been disappointing over the past few seasons. Since winning Halle last year he has dropped down the rankings, currently at a shocking 139, over 100 spots higher than his career-high. The Frenchman is as talented as they come and enjoys this indoor surface, but with his confidence levels being almost at nil and the loss against Bonzi last month, things are not looking good here. He definitely has a chance if he plays well and he has all the tools to do so, but mentally it will take a huge effort on his part and I think that might be out of reach.
This looks like a tough match on paper but I expect it to be relatively comfortable in reality. Ugo Humbert is a shell of the player he once was, and Benjamin Bonzi is not the type of player you want to face when not in form. It could be interesting, but the smart money is expecting a tight win for Bonzi. He simply is the better player right now, and is confident. Humbert can stun us and win this, but it would be expecting a minor miracle and he is not someone you want to back right now in this form. Take Bonzi to win.