Taylor Fritz defeats Matteo Berrettini (6-4, 6-3) and advances to the round of 16 of the 2021 Indian Wells Masters 1000. The American surprises the world number 7, who did not meet expectations and played a good match inefficient against the third American in the table. Fritz awaits Jannik Sinner, who has not played the round of 32 due to loss of John Isner.
Matteo Berrettini and Taylor Fritz They were in the third round of the 2021 Indian Wells Masters 1000, in which it was the second official confrontation between the American and the American. In the only precedent, Taylor took the victory, in the Round Robin of the 2019 Davis Cup Finals in Madrid, in an even three-set match in which Matteo was two points away from victory. In this Indian Wells, both started as seeded, and won their second round match without problems. Berrettini did it against the Chilean Alexander Tabilo, and Fritz before his compatriot Brandon Nakashima.
Fritz, far superior
From the beginning of the game, Taylor Fritz imposed his tennis on that of a very bad Matteo Berrettini, who at no point in the game felt comfortable on the court. In the first set, two breaks put the Californian with 5-1 and serve, and it seemed that he would close the set without problems. But Taylor would feel the pressure, and he would fail to return both breaks to Matteo. When the Italian served with 4-5, the pressure would be felt by him, and Fritz would close the rest with a 6-4 looser than the marker indicated.
In the second set, history would run similar paths. Berrettini was fuzzy on the track, and Fritz subtracted wonderfully. Once again, the one from Rancho Palos Verdes would be placed in advantage, and after confirming it with suffering, he would put himself with a 5-2 that put him in a good fight to close the game. Berrettini would save the serve four match balls, but Taylor wouldn’t forgive with his service, tying his pass to the second round of Indian Wells 6-3 for the second time in his career (2018).
