“It hurts, but tennis is like that.” Matteo Berrettini came within centimeters of a hat-trick in Stuttgart, where he had won the title in 2019 and 2022. The triumph was the British left-handed Jack Draper, who after a very balanced match finished 3-6 7-6(5) 6-4 in just over two hours of play. Berrettini can console himself with the ATP ranking of number 65, quite sensational if one considers that Matteo bases his ranking on 8 tournaments (while all the others on the best 19 results of the last 12 months). Draper, for his part, will from today be at the best ranking of number 30 in the world.
Berrettini’s final
An early break (fourth game) allows Berrettini to immediately take over, closing the first set 6-3. In the second set, serves dominate, until Matteo is forced to cancel a couple of set points and Draper two break points. Having reached the tie-break, Berrettini gains a mini-break advantage, but the British player plays four points like a champion: 7-5. In the third everything is decided between the sixth and seventh games. Berrettini gets a chance to break the opponent’s serve at 3-2, but Draper finds the winning serve with his left-handed claw. In the following game the British player made the decisive break thanks to a super forehand return and a masterful backhand volley. Jack finished the remaining two innings without problems, having won the first title of his career. “Compliments for this week Matteo – the words of the twenty-two year old from Sutton during the awards ceremony -. It was a very difficult final. I know that, like me, you have had many injuries and I am therefore aware of how difficult it is to find the best form.” Draper, who reached the final at Wimbledon Junior in 2018 (after defeating Musetti in the quarterfinals), confirmed that he is a difficult customer for anyone on grass. In the five matches in Stuttgart he made 73 aces.
It remains the tournament of yet another rebirth for Berrettini. «I thank my team – declared Matteo – We know well everything we have been through, between injuries and other problems, you have given me the necessary strength to move forward».
Berrettini towards Wimbledon
Berrettini leaves Stuttgart but not Germany. Matteo will in fact be at the start in Halle, the German ATP 500 in which he will make his debut against the American qualifier Alex Michelsen. The goal, however, is obviously Wimbledon. The Roman, who will not be seeded, could be the loose cannon on the scoreboard. Nobody, not even the two world leaders Sinner and Alcaraz, would like to face him. The hope is that the draw will give Berrettini a hand, avoiding the most complicated areas of the main draw.
