Sonego Surges Past Paire In Stuttgart

After an early struggle, Lorenzo Sonego passed his opening test of the 2022 grass-court season with flying colours on Monday in Stuttgart.

The sixth-seeded Italian recovered an early deficit to ease to a 7-5, 6-2 first-round win against Benoit Paire at the BOSS OPEN ATP 250 event.

“It’s my first time here, it’s my first tournament on grass and I’m really happy [with] this match,” said the sixth seed after defeating Paire. “It’s never easy to pass from clay to grass, but I enjoy it because if I serve good it is easier for me.”

Sonego initially struggled behind his delivery against Paire, dropping his serve in the first and fifth games of the match against the 2017 semi-finalist. However, the Italian stayed solid as inconsistencies crept into the Paire game, and Sonego reeled off four games in a row from 3-5 to clinch the first set before breaking twice in the second to ease to a 77-minute victory.

The win improved Sonego’s career tour-level record on grass to 12-6. The Italian won a title on the surface in Antalya in 2019 and also reached the final in Eastbourne in 2021.

FOLLOW THIS WEEK’S ACTION

📺 TV Schedule
🎾 Watch Live On Tennis TV
📱 Follow Live Scores On ATP Tour App
📧 Sign Up For Newsletters

Sonego’s second-round opponent will be home wild card Jan-Lennard Struff, who edged through his first-round clash with Marcos Giron in a tense deciding-set tie-break.

Struff fended off two match points against the American World No. 53, keeping calm at 5/6 and 7/8 in the third-set tie-break before converting his own second match point to seal a 7-5, 5-7, 7-6(8) triumph. It was the former World No. 29’s first match since Miami in March due to a toe injury.

Moving On! 👉@Struffitennis delights the home crowd by overcoming Giron 7-5 5-7 7-6 in Stuttgart#BOSSOPEN pic.twitter.com/xWfl7trAUf

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) June 6, 2022

Struff’s countrymen Oscar Otte and Daniel Altmaier played out a similarly tense encounter in their maiden tour-level meeting. Otte is playing just his second tour-level event on grass this week in Stuttgart, but it was the World No. 61 who prevailed in two tie-breaks to clinch a 7-6(2), 7-6(4) victory.

After reeling off six straight points to claim the first-set tie-break, Otte saved the only three break points of the match in the 10th game of the second set. The 28-year-old again held his nerve to recover a 2/4 deficit in the second-set tie-break, this time winning five points in a row to book a second-round meeting with fourth seed Denis Shapovalov.

“I’m really happy, it was a difficult match against a good friend,” said Otte after the match. “We’re playing doubles tomorrow together and I’m just happy to be through. Good conditions and it’s always good to play in Germany in front of a home crowd.”

Benjamin Bonzi enjoyed an impressive win on tournament debut as the Frenchman took out a four-time tour-level titlist on grass in Feliciano Lopez. Bonzi was a 6-4, 6-1 winner over the Spanish wild card. The World No. 58 Bonzi next faces Ugo Humbert or Arthur Rinderknech.

In the other match completed Monday, qualifier Radu Albot set up a clash with second seed Matteo Berrettini by overcoming Joao Sousa, 6-2, 7-6(7).