The match between Andy Murray (62nd in the world), three-time Grand Slam winner, and Matteo Berrettini (142nd), finalist at Wimbledon in 2021, ended up swinging in favor of the Briton, winner of the Italian 4-6, 6-3 , 6-4 in 2h48 in the first round of the Masters 1000 in Miami. Berrettini made his return to the ATP circuit at the Florida tournament, six and a half months after his right ankle injury forced him to retire in the second round of the US Open against Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech.
A return that he will undoubtedly remember for a long time. Berrettini was dizzy, staggered and nearly fell as he prepared to serve at 5-2. After his blood pressure was measured on the court where the temperature was around 26 degrees with high humidity, and he fed, the 1.96m tall Italian returned to play.
A little earlier in the week, it was Frenchman Arthur Cazaux who suffered an illness on the court which forced him to spend a night under observation in hospital.
Big scare for Matteo Berrettini. Like Arthur Cazaux in qualifying, the Italian suffered a sudden dizziness in the middle of a match against Andy Murray. He was able to resume the match.
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In order to best prepare for this return, the Italian, 27, played last week in the challenger (2nd division of the ATP) in Phoenix, reaching the final. In the most prestigious poster of this first round in Miami, the former world number 6 immediately trapped the former number 1, snatching his serve from the start to come away 2-0. The Scottish veteran, 36, was never able to make up for this late service, despite two break points at 4-3, and Berrettini won this first set 6-4 on his commitment. In the second set, Murray this time held his serve, before taking that of his opponent at 3-2, on his third break point, to win this set 6-3.
But Murray, combative, more enterprising, very good at returning, had already gained the upper hand. After winning the second set, he took the opponent’s serve after a first game of the last round which lasted 13 minutes. Despite the resistance of Berrettini, often on the verge of breaking, Murray ended up winning, and will meet in the second round the Argentinian Tomas Etchecverry (30th), who is coming out of the South American winter campaign on clay.
