Only COVID and injuries can stop Matteo Berrettini. The statement seems an exaggeration, but the truth is that the transalpine’s last defeat came many months ago, specifically in Indian Wells 2022. Since then he missed Miami and the clay tour due to discomfort, he returned on grass winning two consecutive titles and the positive in coronavirus he dropped from Wimbledon 2022. His return to the circuit at the altitude of the ATP Gstaad 2022 it’s being amazing. If yesterday he beat Pedro Martínez with a comeback that escapes all logic, today he took out the hammer to tear apart a Dominic Thiem that was useless before the claws of the transalpine, although he never lowered his arms and showed some resistance in a somewhat tighter end of the match (6-1, 6-4).
Not many expected that in the script of the first set a single racket would have so much prominence. The start of the match marked the rest of the first quarter tennis-wise and psychologically, with a Berrettini who not only got the break from the start, but also saved a break ball immediately afterwards, signed the best point of the first quarter and, consequently, inflated of morale and confidence to surf the wave to the end. Dominic’s shots didn’t do any damage to the Italian’s backhand, who changed directions with his sliced backhand to get into a forehand position. That, of course, when the rally passed two or three strokes.
It did not always happen: 93% of points won with the first serve during the first set attest to the impressive level of confidence of the transalpine with that shot. A serve that, helped by the altitude of Gstaad, ends up becoming an almost indestructible weapon. Dominic tried on a couple of occasions to use the open kick serve, but was rarely able to get free points, apart from being unable to protect his second serve (he did not even reach 30% of points won with the second serve of the). He was playing exactly what Berrettini wanted, and the patient Thiem who built up the points with controlled aggressiveness never showed up.
MATTEO MARCIANO BERRETTINI
Yes, Marciano because in the second set he continued to pulverize the ball as if nothing had happened. Like when a boxer steps into a ring to his liking, Matteo continued hitting a surface that fits his tennis like a glove. Probably if there were a surface called “land in height”, with conditions similar to those of Madrid or Gstaad, the Italian would become almost invincible. Based on bombs, forehands to the line and a surprising level to the rest, the transalpine planted more doubts in the tennis of a Thiem who ended up deflating after delivering the break with 2-2 in the second set. He also arrived thanks to a mistake in a fairly simple volley, which ended up burning the Austrian’s confidence.
Thiem tried, but he never managed to accelerate with his right hand enough to hurt a Berrettini who did not show a single gap in his service games. A single breaking ball, the one mentioned at the beginning of the match, and from then on a total security in his tennis that allowed him to finish the match with a score more exaggerated than expected. Of course, the one from Wiener Neustadt had time to sow the emotion in the duel, letting go completely and stopping Berrettini’s services much more inside the track to recover a break and make up the result, although he did not have time to turn it around to the match (6-1, 6-4).
By the way, a marker that still tells us that Thiem you must continue on your way without accelerating too much, knowing that there are still many games left to be at the level of the absolute elite of the circuit. By the Italian, tomorrow will return to a final, territory in which he feels increasingly comfortable and that shows that there are no side effects or discomfort as a result of his positive for COVID. Casper Ruud or Albert Ramos await the Martian.
