"Nick Kyrgios is impressive on the court, takes a lot of pace" - Benjamin Bonzi on challenge of facing Australian compared to others on tour
World No. 60 Benjamin Bonzi believes the pace at which Nick Kyrgios plays is a highly impressive part of his game and makes him a unique challenge on the court compared to many others. The Frenchman, who is himself making impressive strides on the tour, wants more match time against top players, and facing Kyrgios was a valuable experience for him.
Bonzi faced and extremely in-form Nick Kyrgios - coming off a Wimbledon final and winning the Citi Open title - in their second-round match at the 2022 US Open. It was a competitive match-up, with Bonzi taking a set off the Australian star and even coming close to forcing a fifth set. Ultimately, Kyrgios' pace and experience at this level was just a lot to handle for the Frenchman.
However, it was a crucial experience for the Frenchman in a season of key learnings for him on the tour.
"Nick (Kyrgios) is kind of impressive on the court. He takes a lot of pace," Benjamin Bonzi said in response to Sportskeeda during a press conference at the 2023 Tata Open Maharashtra. "It was a pretty good experience, it was close to a final set."
Despite the loss, the match left Bonzi with a better understanding of what it takes to face and beat the best.
"If you want to improve on the tour, you have to face those players, to learn how to play against them and how to live those matches. It's not easy on the emotional part," the 26-year-old expressed.
The 26-year-old remarked that he could come up against more of the best players in the biggest tournaments this year.
"You have to learn how to be yourself, how to feel the matches, feel the contact with other players, get used to their balls and their games also," Bonzi further explained.
He also said that he now feels a lot more ready to take on such challenges.
"That was the season for me last year. I know myself more this year, I also know a lot of other players, so we'll see."
Nick Kyrgios was left "really impressed" with Benjamin Bonzi after their US Open match
Nick Kyrgios had high praise for Benjamin Bonzi after their 2022 US Open second-round match, admitting that he was lucky to win in four sets against a top player.
"His level was really, really good. I was really, like, fortunate to get through in four sets," Nick Kyrgios said in a press conference soon after the match.
The Australian, who won 7-6(3), 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 said that Bonzi's level of tennis on the day really impressed him and that the Frenchman had many opportunities to force a fifth set despite being two sets down.
"I was really impressed with him today. He created chances where he plays a couple points here or there, we're still in the fifth right now."
After putting in some good work in the pre-season, Bonzi made the semifinals in Pune, his first tournament of the season. He now has a chance of reaching his first-ever ATP final and will have to get past the challenge of 2nd seed Botic van de Zandschulp on Friday to do so.