Fritz Fights Back From a Set Down to Beat Bonzi in Paris Opener

Taylor Fritz is through to the second round of the Rolex Paris Masters after coming from a set down to beat French qualifier Benjamin Bonzi 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Tuesday. The 11th seed made a slow start against a home favourite with nothing to lose, dropping the opening set as Bonzi took his chances. Fritz, however, steadied himself in the second set, finding his range on serve and from the baseline to level the match, and then held his nerve in a tight decider to close out the win. It was the kind of victory that matters at this stage of the season, when the race for the ATP Finals is coming to a head and every win carries weight beyond the tournament itself. Fritz arrived in Paris still in contention for Turin, and surviving a tricky opener against a qualifier playing in front of his own crowd keeps that chase alive. Bonzi, meanwhile, can take encouragement from a first set in which he outplayed a top seed, even if the match ultimately slipped away. Fritz moves on, and the Paris draw continues to narrow.