Atp Stuttgart, Berrettini returns after the operation, beats Albot and flies to the quarters

The countdown is over, Matteo Berrettini is back. At the ATP 250 in Stuttgart, where he won the title in 2019, the 26-year-old from Rome has finally made his return to the Tour after being forced to skip the entire season on red due to a hand injury, which later resulted in necessity of an operation. On one of the surfaces that enhances him the most and on which he holds a devastating record of 27-7, he won in three sets against the Moldovan Radu Albot, eliminated in with a score of 6-2 4-6 6-3, gained in a hour and 53 minutes of play. In the quarter-finals for the blue n.10 of the world ranking, who benefited from a bye in the first round, there will be the winner of the match between Lorenzo Sonego (n.32 Atp) and Jan-Lennard Struff (n.103 Atp) ).

HAMMER TIME

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Brilliant start with an ace and three first winners for Berrettini, making his debut after three years in the German tournament. On the contrary, in the following game his opponent Albot collects very little with the first one and thanks to three errors of the right he delivers the 2-0 in the hands of the blue. Having consolidated the advantage just obtained, Matteo completely relies on his best ally: the serve, which he holds up to 5-2, a moment in which even the aggressive responses reward him with a second break that ends the partial in less than half an hour. of game. The numbers of the Roman at bat at the end of the set are devastating: 7 aces, 81% of total points in the service rounds and 94% won with the first.

UPHILL

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In the second half, Matteo’s pace is confirmed as pounding across the board: the forehand weighs almost as much as the serve, tracing perfect trajectories that allow him quick and comfortable descents to the net, while in the third game the abacus from Italy even scores 11 aces. In the meantime, Albot’s tennis rises: at 2-1 he cancels two break points in favor of the Italian, who sees a further chance of advantage in the fifth game vanish. The match suddenly gets complicated in the following game for Matteo, who loses his serve and suffers a heavy set of 8 points to 1. The Moldovan just needs to keep the serve to make him the set for 6-4. The road turns uphill for the Wimbledon finalist.

MENTALITY

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The blue Top 10 knows he has to straighten out the match as soon as possible, starting from the attitude. After having pulled himself out of trouble by canceling three poisonous break points (between the first and third game), he returns to be heard at the Stuttgart center. He pushes with his backhand and, unlike his opponent, hits the ball at the first useful opportunity. The first break of the set is all blue. Forward 4-2, Berrettini seems to have by now found the coordinates of his tennis: at the change of court the aces become 21 and the finish line is getting closer and closer. Albot somehow remains clinging to the game at 5-3 but when the ball passes into the hands of Berrettini, there is no more story. It’s still hammer time: three aces and a winning serve announce the final 6-3. Welcome back Matteo.

WORD OF MATTHEW

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“Today I felt good on the pitch, especially from a physical point of view”, the Roman’s impressions after the winning comeback. “I didn’t take it for granted that I would feel so good in the first match after the operation. I had never had surgery before. I am happy to be able to play three sets today, mentally it was not easy but it is like this when you lose the rhythm. In the third set I fought, I knew I had to stay there. The focus now is on accumulating games, grass is one of my favorite surfaces and I’m sure my level will only go up from here. Today it was the first important step in the right direction “.