Australian Open, Passaro's adventure ends: Bonzi eliminates him

Melbourne, January 15, 2025 – Only one Italian on the field today in Melbourne and unfortunately one elimination. Francesco Bird sees his dream of continuing at the Australian Open end after his victory, by retirement, against Grigor Dimitrov in the first round. The Italian, born in 2001, stops in the second round against the Frenchman Benjamin Bonzie, albeit struggling. The match was not very long, just over two hours, but it was quite hard-fought and the Italian tried to come back in the third set, but the solidity of the Frenchman then prevailed with a victory in four sets by 6-2 6-4 3-6 6-4. The match was based on a greater effectiveness of the Frenchman. In the first set Bonzie he took the first break in the fifth game, taking advantage of the third ball to break Passaro's serve and confirm it in the seventh game up to 6-2. More or less the same thing happened in the second game, because Bonzie he tore the joke away Bird again in the fifth game, this time without a double break but managing to avoid counter break points and close on the second set point at 6-4. The third set was the one played best by Bird, able to come back from a break down at the start, then break his opponent's serve twice, first in the second game, then in the sixth, taking advantage of the first break point available in both cases. Everything went smoothly, in fact at 5-3 Passaro had no problems and held his serve to love to close the gap to 2-1. However, it was a flash in the pan. The fourth and decisive set was very balanced. Bird he had several break chances in the third game, he didn't take advantage of them, plus a couple at 5-4, without succeeding again, so in the tenth game Bonzie applied pressure and earned two match points, taking advantage of the second after two hours and twelve minutes of play to access the third round. Now for Bonzie there will be the challenge against the Czech Lehecka. Tomorrow, however, a great blue day. It opens sonego with the baby phenomenon Fonseca at 1am, more or less at the same time as Musetti-Shapovalov, then towards morning it's up to Berrettini against Rune, on 7, and Sinner Schoolkate around 9 in the morning.

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