US Open: Benjamin Bonzi overwhelms a seeded opponent to reach the third round

Benjamin Bonzi made a statement at the US Open by dismantling Peru’s Ignacio Buse, the tournament’s No. 32 seed, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4), 6-0. The Frenchman moved into the third round with a performance built on aggression, forward movement and confident net play.

The match came under demanding circumstances. Both Bonzi and Buse had been forced to complete their opening-round matches on Wednesday after rain interruptions, then return to the court the following day. Buse had spent 3 hours and 48 minutes defeating American Marcos Giron, while Bonzi had needed about two hours. Their recent campaigns at Winston-Salem had also been lengthy. Buse won that tournament after defeating Bonzi in the semifinals.

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I wanted to reproduce more or less the same pattern as at Winston-Salem, to be extremely aggressive at the beginning. I was ready to take that risk, even if it meant making errors.

Bonzi looked fresher from the start and immediately took control. He attacked early and moved forward, winning 19 points at the net. “I wanted to reproduce more or less the same pattern as at Winston-Salem, to be extremely aggressive at the beginning. I was ready to take that risk, even if it meant making errors,” he said.

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He was a little less well. He may have had less mental energy to give on the court. He became frustrated quickly at the beginning when I hit winners. That gave me confidence.

Buse was broken early and quickly surrendered the first set, but he recovered his energy in the second and forced a tiebreak. Bonzi controlled the decider with authority, finishing it with a crosscourt volley against an opponent who could not respond. The Frenchman said he sensed that Buse had less to give mentally and became frustrated when Bonzi hit winners. The third set then became one-way traffic, with Buse winning only eight points across six games.

Bonzi has now matched his best US Open result, having also reached the third round in 2023 and 2025. He will meet Karen Khachanov on Saturday. The Russian, ranked 50th, eliminated fourth-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime and has never lost to Bonzi. “My goal is to go further,” Bonzi said, while adding that he also feels confident despite Khachanov’s recent strong wins.

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My goal is to go further.