Immediately ahead 2-0 the Italian number 1 gets sucked into the Spanish teenager, a fall at the beginning of the decisive set complicates everything then triumphs in the 5th place: he is in the round of 16
Mamma mia Berrettini, what suffering! This year he reaches the second round of the Australian Open, but with a battle against Carlos Alcaraz that cuts the legs and breath of those who are on the field and those who watch it while sipping coffee in the Italian morning. A match that the Roman won, lost, revived until the fifth tie break: 6-2 7-6 4-6 2-6 7-6. Four hours of ruthless struggle: “I only thought about fighting at every point. I’m very happy. Carlos is incredible, at his age I didn’t even have any ATP points”, Matteo commented, exhausted.
The match
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The Spaniard was also given as a favorite by bookmakers, who had not bet too much on the national Matteone. Maybe because in the first two rounds he had to face an intestinal virus that had weakened him not a little. The match had started very well for Berrettini, able to immediately impose his law with a first set dominated 6-2 and the second most struggled but brought home to the tie break. Then, the fury of Murcia, with an even leaner and more sculpted body than a couple of months ago, took the measurements of Matteo: “I have already beaten him – he said on the eve – I know how to do it. I learned a lot. since that match “. And in fact in the third set, when the game still seems in hand, Berrettini misses the decisive thrust allowing the little devil raised by Juan Carlos Ferrero to put his foot in the door before it closes. Carlitos wins the set 6-4, completely reopening the game. A hard blow to digest for the Italian number 1 who in the fourth, instead of reacting, perhaps clouded by fatigue, gives in suddenly giving himself 6-2 to Alcaraz.
The epilogue
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The fifth is the most dramatic set, not only because it is inside or outside but because Berrettini, who always has a preferential lane when there is a joke involved, slightly twists his ankle making a nice tumble. Silence, tension, anxiety, trainer. One placed on the foot after a quick discussion with the trainer, and off you go, back on the pitch with a bit of trembling. First four games of the fifth very tight, always with the advantages, with Berrettini who fails to break through with the serve, which often comes back like a shot, and is provoked on the backhand with monstrous accelerations. Matteo’s game is all head and he doesn’t want to let go despite the fact that his physique is asking for more and more and moving is slower. In the 10th game Alcaraz keeps the service at 0, Berretto reacts very well and always responds to 0. It’s not over until it’s over. At 6-5 30-30 Carlitos misses a smash and sends Berrettini to the match point. The Spaniard serves the second, Matteo’s answer on the net puts him back on track. We go to the super tie break. Alcaraz starts with a mini break advantage that makes Matteo run here and there, exhausting him. It is back in a draw at 2-2. With the public divided between the desire to see an 18-year-old in the second week and the affection for Berrettini, boyfriend of the Australian Tomljanovic. Vincenzo Santopadre, in the box, is a sphinx when it comes to 4-4. Minibreak! 6-4 Cap. Santopadre resumes his vital functions and stands up. Another minibreak by Berrettini who in the end closes 10-5 at 5th. Whole head.
January 21 – 09:34
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