RENNES/STARNBERG, September 14, 2023
The ATP Challenger Tour is back in France for the 2023 Open Blot Rennes, one of the top indoor events on the circuit. The €118,000 hard-court tournament is being held inside the atmospheric Le Liberté Arena in Rennes.
Top seed Richard Gasquet and 2021 titlist Benjamin Bonzi will go head-to-head in Friday’s quarterfinals. Gasquet advanced to the stage of the final eight with two straight-set wins over his compatriots Jules Marie and Manuel Guinard.
“It’s a great atmosphere. The audience was divided, but that’s normal since Manuel is from here; it’s good that the public expresses itself. It was very enjoyable, and there were people in the stands. We play for that,” Gasquet said after his 6-3, 7-5 success against Guinard on Wednesday.
No. 8 seed Bonzi started his home campaign with a 7-6(3), 6-1 first-round victory against local qualifier Maxence Beauge followed by a 6-1, 6-2 win over Gauthier Onclin from Belgium.
“I have great memories in Rennes. I would like to achieve the same success as in 2021, but the road is still long,” Bonzi said.
In the bottom half of the draw, second-seeded Frenchman Gregoire Barrere opened his title bid with a 6-3, 6-1 win against Polish qualifier Kacper Zuk. On Wednesday, the 29-year-old had to go the distance to battle past Spanish qualifier Alejandro Moro Canas 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in exactly two hours of play.
Shoot of the day by @Naverty 📸 pic.twitter.com/SVKxfp5vTJ
— Open Blot Rennes (@OpenBlotRennes) September 13, 2023
