Matteo Berrettini is forced to give up in the final at the ATP 250 in Stuttgart. The British Jack Draper beat him, at the first satisfaction at ATP level in his career at 22 years old. 3-6 7-6(5) 6-4 is the score of the last act, which however does not in any way affect the Roman’s good progress. For comparison, last year at this time, after the clear defeat against Lorenzo Sonego, his morale was very low. Now, after five games played and the prospect of Halle, the situation can be defined as better.
Berrettini starts his match in style, with three aces to give himself the 1-0. Then, in the third game, he comes back in excellent fashion once he ends up down 15-30 and, on Draper, the consequences are quite drastic. In the fourth game, in fact, the British player commits a double fault, then has to face two break points and finds himself committing a second double fault which costs him his turn at serve. The Italian has some slightly critical moments on serve: at 4-2 he goes 0-30 down, at 5-3 0-15, but the serve very often helps him get out of trouble even with a version of the British who is anything but compliant. In particular, in the ninth game they arrive to resolve the issue a first winner and three more aces for 6-3.
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In the second set, Draper finds perhaps his best response game so far, at 1-0 in his favour: he raises the pace in response, finds a great point for 40 all, but sees Berrettini’s ace go behind his head which paves the way for the game to end. For several minutes of real emotions not even a shadow is visible, and so it is until 5-4 for the British. Suddenly, a drop in the Roman’s first few means that good things from his opponent come together in the exchange and a set point on a wide forehand. The answer: two aces in a row. Draper doesn’t have it, finds a winning response and then, again on the second, builds an excellent exchange closed with the short ball: all in vain, because even the second set point is prey to a first winner. In the end the 5-5 arrives, with Berrettini raising the engine revs in response (the defensive backhand slice with a very low ball for the 15-30 with Draper launched towards the net is splendid). In the wake, two very important break points arrive: the native of the London area, however, is good at getting out of trouble, finishing in style with the serve&volley on the second for the 6-5. This brings us to the tie-break, in which the first to have the minibreak is the Italian, with a missed forehand from the British. The return comes immediately via a wide forehand, and the Roman then has to save the situation with a cross pass that gives him the 4-3. At 5-5, however, Berrettini’s second is pierced by Draper’s winning forehand return, who then goes on to collect the parity in the sets with another short ball.
In the first five games of the third set essentially nothing happens, and the greatest thrill is related to a fall by Draper at the initial point at 2-2, fortunately without consequences (in short, a very banal slip on the grass). Something starts to happen at 3-2 in Berrettini’s favor, with the Roman ending up at 0-30. We go to the advantage, and this time the British player only finds half the net with the short ball: break point. Again the service and volley scheme serves to close the Italian hopes, as well as the next couple of excellent points. The seventh game opens with a double fault from the Capitoline, who then, on an even less than millimetric forehand from Draper at 30-30, finds himself having to save himself. The tape, however, does not help him: on the contrary, it passes the ball to the British player, who maneuvers with his forehand to gain the advantage. For him comes an excellent management of the situation, the one that led him to finish victorious for the first ATP joy in his career.
It can truly be said that this is a comparison decided by the pure and simple details, since both players find themselves with a haul of 91 points won each and with a superb performance on the first (87% points won for Draper, 83 % for Berrettini). Different destinations now for the two: one at Queen’s, the other, via special exempt, in Halle.
