Van Assche topples Bonzi in a thriller at Marseille tournament

The first round of the Marseille tournament was a 100% French affair. Lucky loser Luca Van Assche, who was drafted in after Lucas Pouille withdrew, faced Benjamin Bonzi for a place in the second round in Bouches-du-Rhône.

The two men know each other well and have played each other on four previous occasions. It's Bonzi who leads three wins to one in direct confrontations.

The two men put on a fine show on center court, where spectators were still recovering from Richard Gasquet's last appearance in the Phocaean city.

The two local players kept up the suspense right to the end, and both had match points in the tie-break of the third set.

In the end, after a 2:11 battle, it was Van Assche who came out on top (3-6, 6-3, 7-6) after trailing 6-4 (and saving two match points) in the tiebreak of the final set.

Van Assche, ranked 164th in the world after reaching 63rd place in 2023, will face Lorenzo Sonego, quarter-finalist at the Australian Open in recent weeks and winner over Botic van de Zandschulp on Monday evening, for a place in the quarter-finals of this 2025 edition of the Open 13 Provence.